Lost in Middle Earth
by LATMC
Summary: Hermione invents a time portal that can take people to other dimensions. When she, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny, try it out, the portal malfunctions and Harry wakes up alone in the Shire. Can he find his friends and save Middle Earth? COMPLETE!
1. The Time Portal

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

A/N: This is an AU, set during the events in Order of the Phoenix. Also, the Lord of the Rings storyline is based on the movie version.

Chapter 1: The Time Portal

One March evening, Harry Potter and his best friend Ron Weasley were walking down a corridor to the library. Normally they didn't go there, but their other best friend, Hermione Granger, had been missing since dinner, and as they had already looked in the Gryffindor common room, they couldn't think of anywhere else she could be.

"Harry! Ron! There you are!" cried a voice. It was Ron's younger sister, Ginny. She came dashing towards them. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Hermione needs to show you something in the Room of Requirement!"

"The Room of Requirement?" asked Harry, puzzled, "What is it? Something for the DA?"

"No, it's something else. She's been working on it all this time and she said she simply had to show you! Now come on! She said to hurry; it's almost finished!"

"Are you going to even bother telling us what "it" is?" asked Ron.

"There's no time, and anyway, Hermione could explain it better than I could. So come on already!" And with that, Ginny dragged the two boys down to the Room of Requirement.

They stepped in rather cautiously. "Hermione?" asked Harry tentatively, "What'sthis all about?" Then he saw what was in there and gasped.

Inside the room looked fairly normal, except that in the center there was a golden haze that looked a lot like what Harry had run through in the maze during the Triwizard Tournament only last year. Next to it stood Hermione, whose cheeks were flushed as they normally looked when she was very excited. "Hermione?" asked Ron, "What IS that?!"

"It's a time portal!" said Hermione, "I made it myself!"

"YOU made that?!" said Harry incredulously, "But what does it do?"

"Well," replied Hermione, "if all goes well, it will take us to a different dimension!"

"Come again?" said Ron.

"It will take us to a different world!"

"There are different _worlds_?"

"Yes Harry! I found that out after I got that old Time-Turner. I was so fascinated by it; I decided to do a bit of background reading."

"No surprise there," Ron muttered.

Hermione ignored him. "Anyway, as soon as I found out there were other worlds not so different from our own, I thought it would be interesting to find them and see them for myself. And then last year, when you saw Voldemort come back Harry, I thought my invention, if I ever created it, would serve another purpose: We could get help when Voldemort attacks!"

"If he ever _does_ attack."

"He will Harry, don't talk nonsense," said Hermione seriously. "Anyway, after we decided to move the DA here, you don't know how much trouble it was to hide it! Eventually, Ginny did. She walked in on me one day when I was working on it."

"Yeah, and she made me swear not to tell!"

"How come?"

"Because Ron, I was afraid it might not work. It could _still_ go horribly wrong, even after I've made it. But I think it's safe enough that we can test it."

"Well, I'll be glad to test it," said Harry.

"Me too!" said Ron.

"Me three!" said Ginny.

"Thanks guys!" said Hermione, smiling. "I knew I could count on you! If we do go though, it should be now. If my calculations are correct, no time will have passed once we come back."

"That's wicked!" said Ron.

"Yeah, well, let's go!" she replied, and started to walk towards the portal. But just before she stepped in, the door banged open.

"What are you all doing here?" asked Fred.

"How did you know we were even here?" asked Harry.

"Now, now, young Harry. What did we tell you about wiping that map so that no one else could read it?" said George mockingly, waving the map around. Harry groaned. How could he have been so careless?!

"What is THAT?" asked Fred, pointing at the time portal.

"It's a time portal," said Hermione, and she quickly explained the whole thing to the twins. When she finished, there mouths were hanging open for a split second. Then they recovered.

"Cool!" yelled Fred.

"I want to try it!" said George. The two of them raced towards the portal.

"Wait, Fred, George, no! Stop!" cried Hermione, but it was too late. The boys were gone.

"Oh no!" said Hermione, and she raced in after them.

"Hermione! Wait!" cried Ginny.

"Ginny! Come back!" said Ron.

Before he knew it, Harry was all alone. "Oh boy," he said, "Here I come!" He ran in and was immediately sucked into a whirlwind of color. Then suddenly, he was falling from the sky, screaming before he made impact with the grass.

When he finally came to, Harry groaned and opened his eyes. He was lying flat on his back, with two people bending over him. One looked unfamiliar, a little man with thick brown hair and wide blue eyes. But the other, Harry felt he had definitely seen before. "Professor Dumbledore?" he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Dumbledore?" asked the old man slowly, "Who is Dumbledore?"

"Ohhhhh," groaned Harry, "You're not Dumbledore are you?"

"No," said the man, "I am Gandalf. Who is this Dumbledore?"

"He's…well, Hermione can explain it better than I can. Or is she still unconscious?"

"Who is Hermione?"

"She's the girl with the bushy brown hair," said Harry.

"There's no girl here."

"There's not?" said Harry. _Oh no, _he thought, _Please don't tell me they're not here!_ "But there were two girls with me, and three boys! Two of them are twins, and then there's their younger brother, that's my friend Ron, and their younger sister, Ginny. They all have red hair and freckles. There's also Hermione. Please tell me they're here!" he begged.

Both men shook their heads no. "I'm all alone?" Harry asked.

"I'm afraid so," said Gandalf.

"Oh no," said Harry, "Where are they?"

"I don't know, but you'd better come with us and explain who you are. Do you think you can stand, or do you want me to carry you?"

"I'm fine," said Harry and he got up. As he looked around, he saw that he was in a green wooded area. Nearby was a wagon pulled by a horse. "Where am I, exactly, and who are you again?"

"You're in the Shire. Like I said before, my name is Gandalf. This is Frodo. He's a hobbit, in case you didn't realize."

"What's a hobbit?" asked Harry.

"They are little people. Frodo can tell you about them better than I can. Let's get in the wagon first, and then we can talk more."

So Harry climbed into the wagon, with a sinking feeling that he was in for another strange adventure. Little did he know just how strange this one would get.

A/N: Please review!! If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!


	2. Welcome to the Shire

Disclaimer: We all know that I don't own anything in Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. If I _did_ I wouldn't be writing this. So just enjoy the story!

Chapter 2: Welcome to the Shire

A few hours later, Harry was sitting on a _very_ small bed in a room at Bag End. Frodo's Uncle Bilbo had kindly allowed him to stay with them, and had even invited him to his birthday party later that evening. But Harry didn't feel too much like celebrating. He was lost in a land he'd never known existed, and if he didn't find his friends, Hermione in particular, he'd never get home. He was in a daze. What had happened to his friends? Why didn't he just go for help? Dumbledore would probably know what to do. He should never have just run in like that. Hermione had said their might be problems with the portal, he should've known something like this would happen…

"Harry?" said a voice.

Harry looked up. It was Frodo.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," answered Harry, "I'm fine."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Nah," said Harry, trying to smile; Frodo was looking rather uncomfortable, "I'll save it for the party tonight."

"So you'll definitely come?" asked Frodo, looking much happier.

"Of course!" said Harry.

Frodo smiled, then got more serious. "Harry," he said softly, "I'm sorry about your friends."

"It's alright," said Harry, "It's not your fault."

"I know, but if you need anything, let me know."

"Ok, thanks."

Frodo left, leaving Harry alone to think. He had indeed decided to go to the party, although no party would feel right without Ron and Hermione, or Fred and George's antics, while Ginny shrieked with laughter.

* * *

A few hours later though, Harry had to admit he was having a lot of fun. Gandalf's fireworks were amazing, Fred and George would have been jealous if they had seen them. Right now Harry was sitting next to Frodo under a brightly lit tent eating everything in sight. He had never seen so much food, even at Hogwarts. What these hobbits lacked in size they made up for with their appetites.

Just then another hobbit with blond curly haircame up and sat down. "Hello Sam!" said Frodo, "Harry, this is Samwise Gamgee. He's my gardener. Sam, this is Harry Potter. He's the boy Gandalf found today."

"Please to meet you Mr. Harry," said Sam, "I heard people saying you were a wizard like Mr. Gandalf. Is that true?"

"First, call me Harry," replied Harry, "And second, yes it's true that I'm a wizard."

"But you don't look anything like Gandalf or any of the other wizards I've heard of!" said Sam in astonishment, "I thought they were all wise old men!"

"Well, where I come from, kids train to become wizards at a young age."

"Wow!" Sam looked very impressed.

After he finally finished eating, Harry got up and walked over to wear Gandalf was shooting off more fireworks, much to the hobbit-children's delight. The old wizard had just set off some crackers that looked like butterflies, when Harry thought he saw something move by the wagon. He decided to investigate, and sure enough, he found that not only was the largest firework gone, but there were voices coming from inside the nearby tent.

Harry walked in and immediately spotted the trouble. Two young hobbits had taken the firework and were trying to set it off, but they clearly didn't know how.

"You're supposed to stick it in the ground!" said one.

"It is in the ground!" said the other one, starting to panic.

"Need any help?" asked Harry.

Both hobbits jumped at the sound of his voice. Then they both started begging, "Please don't tell Gandalf!"

"He'll be furious!"

"I don't want to be on the end of his staff!"

"Have mercy!"

"If I were you, I'd be more worried about the firework," said Harry. It was true. The firework had already been lit, and it looked ready to take off. Harry quickly waved his wand to douse the flame. "Now, I've seen my friends Fred and George work these things. You…" he said, pointing to the first hobbit.

"Merry."

"Right, Merry. You're…"

"And Pippin!" interrupted the other hobbit.

"Thanks Pippin. Anyway, Merry's right. You have to stick it deeper into the ground." With that, Harry walked over and did just that.

It had suddenly occurred to Merry and Pippin that they were not in trouble. "You're going to help?" asked Pippin.

"Sure, even I couldn't resist something like this. Now stand back," Harry warned. They all stepped back into the farthest corner of the tent. "_Incendio_!" he cried, and the firework lit.

The effect was not what Harry had planned. He'd forgotten how big the firework was. It went off with a loud BANG that blew up the whole tent, causing Harry, Merry, and Pippin to fall over each other.

The firework turned out to be a huge, flaming dragon that circled the party and then started to fly dangerously low towards the lake. Everyone started screaming and running away; tripping over each other and spilling food everywhere in the chaos. The firework barely missed the hobbits' heads as it flew over the lake where it made a spectacular explosion. Despite the moment of peril, everyone cheered at the massive display before them.

Harry, Merry, and Pippin stood up. They were scorched by the huge blast and in quite a shock. "Wow!" was all Harry managed to say.

"That was good!" said Merry.

"Let's get another one," said Pippin.

"This time though, we'd better do it outside, _away_ from everyone else," said Harry.

"Spoilsport," muttered Pippin.

"Hey, I could've told Gandalf," Harry started to say as they turned around, only to find themselves face to face with Gandalf.

"Uh-oh," said Harry.

"Meriadoc Brandybuck. Peregrin Took." Merry and Pippin winced as they heard their real names. "And Harry Potter," Gandalf continued, "I might've known with you two. But I must admit I never suspected something like this coming for someone like _you_," he said to Harry, making him feel a squirm of guilt. "Well, there's only one thing to do about you three."

Two minutes later, Frodo walked over to where Gandalf was sitting, keeping a close eye on Harry, Merry, and Pippin's efforts on washing and drying all the dishes. Considering how many people had eaten and drank at the parties, it was a rather harsh punishment on Gandalf's part. But Frodo was still trying not to laugh as he made his way over to them. "Well Harry," he said, "I see you've met my cousins!"

"Unfortunately," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Hey you were in on it too!" Merry said indignantly, but he was interrupted by the sudden cheering as Bilbo rose to make a speech.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins!" he began, "Tooks and Brandybucks! Grubbs! Chubbs! Bracegirdles!" As he said each name, the family mentioned cheered wildly. "And Proudfoots!"

"Proudfeet!" yelled one of the older hobbits. Bilbo waved it aside.

"And of course, my dear friend Gandalf and his companion Mr. Potter!"

Harry grinned and waved to Bilbo.

"Today is my 111th birthday!" continued Bilbo.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone cheered. Harry laughed. He had never really liked listening to speeches, but this was a lot of fun.

"Alas, 111 years is hardly enough time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve!"

_What?_ thought Harry. He was still trying to work out that last comment. Judging from the confused looks on the other hobbits' faces, he wasn't the only one. He looked at Gandalf, but his fellow wizard continued to stare at Bilbo with a knowing smile on his face.

"I-I have things to do," said Bilbo with a sudden anxious expression on his face. Harry was instantly alert. "I regret to announce this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell. Good-bye." And Bilbo suddenly vanished.

Everyone gasped. Harry was bewildered. For a split second, he was sure Bilbo had Apparated, but that couldn't be right, even Gandalf didn't know how, when Harry had mentioned it to them earlier. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to know what happened either. The hobbits were all running around in a state of shock calling for Bilbo. But he didn't appear. Harry wasn't sure what to do at the moment, but his curiosity was kicking in. One thing was certain: he would get to the bottom of this new mystery somehow, no matter how long it took.

A/N: Read and review! I understand this wasn't the best chapter; it went over quite a few revisions. The real action should start next chapter, when Harry and the hobbits leave the Shire.

To my reviewers: Thank you!

**genvessel**: Oh yes, the Hogwarts kids will definitely make it to Mordor, at least, some of them will, but yes, I'm doing the whole trilogy here! And their magic will help, very much so!

**Smilies rule: **Thanks for reviewing!


	3. The Journey Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. And I'd also like to add that throughout the story I will have no choice but to adapt certain lines from the movie. I did not come up with them, Peter Jackson and New Line did.

Chapter 3: The Journey Begins

Harry turned to Frodo, who looked as surprised as he was. "My uncle always talked about leaving," he said slowly, "I never thought he was actually going to do it!"

"Did he say where he wanted to go?" asked Harry.

"The mountains. He wanted to go back to the Lonely Mountain, where he ended up in his first adventure that he told you about. And Rivendell. He wanted to see the elves again."

Harry had been shocked when Bilbo and Frodo told him about the elves of Middle-Earth, which was what this world was known as. Apparently the elves here were nothing like the ones at Hogwarts, they were free, and humans here held them in nothing but the deepest respect. Hermione would've been pleased, but maybe it was better that she didn't know. It would probably make her all the more obsessed with S.P.E.W., the society to gain house-elves their rights.

"Where's Gandalf?" he asked suddenly. He'd just realized that the wizard was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't-wait, there he is!" Frodo watched as Gandalf walked up to Bag End, opened the door, and disappear from sight.

"Come on, let's go talk to him," said Harry. They both got up and started walking toward the house. It was easier said than done. The hobbits kept coming up to them, bombarding them with questions. It seemed they expected that as Bilbo's nephew and heir, Frodo should know where Bilbo was, and they were now suspicious of Harry, who had turned up in their land without any explanation. Finally, the two friends managed to reach Bag End. Frodo ran in first, yelling, "Bilbo! Bilbo!" He stopped when he saw what was on the floor.

"What is it?" asked Harry, stepping in.

"It's Bilbo's ring," said Frodo, picking it up. Harry had no idea why, but he was suddenly filled with a strange desire for it. He quickly shook it off. After all, it was just a simple golden band. But it was a very pretty one…

"Gandalf?" asked Frodo. Harry was jerked from his thoughts as he saw Gandalf sitting by the fire, puffing his pipe, muttering words under his breath.

Suddenly he looked up at Frodo and smiled. "Bilbo's ring," he said, "He's gone to stay with the elves. He's left you Bag End, along with all his possessions." Gandalf took the ring and sealed it in an envelope. "Keep it somewhere out of sight," he said. Then he got up and started getting ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" asked Frodo, sounding distressed and bewildered.

"There are some things I need to work out." replied Gandalf.

"What things?" asked Frodo.

"Questions that need answering."

"But you've only just arrived! I don't understand."

Harry was feeling slightly put out; Frodo didn't understand, at least he hadn't been dropped in some world he knew almost nothing about. Harry was still trying to work out what was happening to him, let alone wonder where Bilbo had gone, what this mysterious ring was, or why Gandalf was leaving so soon.

Gandalf had paused, and turned to look at both of them. "Neither do I," he said simply, "Keep it secret; keep it safe." He turned to leave. "Oh, and Harry? Could I have a word with you outside please?"

Harry stepped outside and shut the door. He saw Gandalf looked deadly serious. "Harry," he said urgently, "I know you're confused and upset over what's happened to you, but I need to ask you a favor."

"What?" asked Harry.

"Could you please stay here and keep an eye on Frodo?" he asked, "I know you want to go home, but I also realize that that's not possible for you at the moment, and I really need someone here to look after him, and if the need arises, to protect him."

Harry let the last few words sink in before answering, "All right. I'll do it. But first, there are some things I need to know. Where's Bilbo? How'd he disappear? What's so important about his ring? And how come you need me to protect Frodo? Surely you don't think anyone in the Shire is dangerous?"

"No Harry, I don't. But it's not the Shire-folk that are worrying me. And I promise to tell you everything about Bilbo and the ring, when I have the time. But right now I really must leave. Just promise me that you will watch Frodo for me."

"I will," said Harry.

"Thank you. By the way, Frodo should be able to at least tell you how Bilbo found the ring, and what it can do, if you really want to know. Good-bye!"

Harry watched him leave, wondering when this nightmare would end.

But as the days passed, Harry felt that he could definitely get used to life in the Shire. It was a very peaceful place; the hobbits were friendly enough, once they got over their original suspicions. Harry hadn't forgotten what Gandalf told him, but it was hard to believe that anyone could be in danger in a place like this. Frodo had explained the whole story about how Bilbo found the ring, including the part about Gollum. Harry thought he sounded it a bit like Kreacher.

One night, months after the party, Harry, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were at the local pub: The Green Dragon. It was a cozy little place, not unlike the Three Broomsticks. There the hobbits danced, sang, and drank a lot. It had become a favorite hangout for the five, who had quickly become good friends.

On this particular night, Merry and Pippin had gotten up on a table and started dancing and singing and drinking song. It didn't take long for the whole pub to join in. Frodo grabbed some ale and some stilled water for Harry, since he didn't drink, and they sat with Sam, his father the old Gaffer, and Ted Sandyman and his father.

Despite the fact that the Shire was so beautiful and peaceful, the Gaffer reported that all was not as well in the outside world. Apparently dwarves and elves were now constantly crossing the Shire's borders, but no one knew why. "The mountains are fair teeming with goblins," the Gaffer was saying. Harry knew in this world the goblins, and their larger versions, the orcs, were plain evil, not like the crafty bankers of his world. "War's brewing," the Gaffer continued.

"Far off tales and children's stories, that's all that is," said Ted, "You're beginning to sound like that old Bilbo Baggins. Cracked he was."

"And young Mr. Frodo, here," said the Gaffer, chuckling, "He's cracking!"

"And proud of it!" said Frodo, handing them their drinks, "Cheers Gaffer!"

"Well it's none of our concern what goes on beyond our borders. Keep your nose out of trouble and no trouble will come to you!" said Ted. Harry disagreed, but wasn't about to say it.

As they walked out, the bartender, Rosie, was saying good night to everyone. Harry couldn't help but notice the way Sam stared at her. As Ted stayed behind to do a whole thank you routine, he muttered, "Oh mind who you're sweet-talking!"

"Don't worry Sam," said Frodo, "Rosie knows an idiot when she sees one!"

Sam thought about that for a few seconds. "Does she?" he asked anxiously.

"Don't kid yourself Sam, you're no idiot!" laughed Harry.

* * *

It was very late by the time Frodo and Harry got home. They waved good-bye to Sam and stepped inside. It was then that Harry got a prickling on the back of his neck-a sure sign they were being watched.

"What the…" said Frodo. The place was a mess. It looked not unlike the Gryffindor dormitory, the day that Ginny had torn it apart looking for her diary. Harry walked inside, and went to light a few candles, when he heard movement behind him. He wheeled around and saw a hand grab Frodo's shoulder.

"Frodo, look out!" he yelled, and whipped out his wand. "_Stupefy_!" he said. The spell hit its target, there was a low grunt, and something fell to the floor.

Frodo shrank behind Harry. "What is it?" he asked.

Harry muttered, "_Lumos_," and his wand lit up at the tip. He shown it in the face of the thing he just stunned. He turned pale. "Uh-oh," was all he could manage to get out.

"What!" asked Frodo frantically, "What did you get?"

"Gandalf," said Harry simply, "I am in BIG trouble!"

* * *

Gandalf, as it turned out, was more forgiving then Harry had expected and feared. "Foolish boy," he was muttering, "But I suppose I shouldn't have startled you like that."

"_Startled_ is putting it mildly," said Harry, "You gave me a real bad scare!"

"I'm sorry," said Gandalf, "But I need to know if that ring is still secret and safe!"

"Oh, that?" asked Frodo, "It's somewhere here." He shuffled through some papers before producing the envelope. Gandalf grabbed it and flung it in the fire. "What are you doing?" cried Frodo, voicing exactly what Harry was thinking.

Gandalf poked at the burning envelope with a fire tong, and managed to pick up the ring. "Hold out your hand Frodo," he said. Frodo hesitated. Getting his hand burned by a hot ring was not exactly at the top of his list of things to do. "It's quite cool," said Gandalf, as if he'd read the hobbit's mind, and he dropped the ring in Frodo's hand. "I want you to tell me," he continued, "Can you see anything?" Harry was utterly mystified. What was this all about?

"Nothing," said Frodo, "There is nothing." Gandalf looked relieved. "Wait," said Frodo suddenly, "There's some writing. It's some form of Elvish, I can't read it."

"There are few who can," said Gandalf, his eyes full of dread, "The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter hear."

Frodo now looked horrified. "Mordor?" he said fearfully.

"In the Common Tongue, it says: 'One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them!'" replied Gandalf.

Harry stared at him. "Ok…you lost me around the part where you threw the ring in the fire."

Gandalf sighed. "Sit down," he said, "This will take a lot of explaining."

* * *

Harry stared at him. "So you're saying that this ring that can make people invisible is actually a powerful dark ring made by a Dark Lord named Sauron, who sounds like my archenemy Voldemort by the way, and that if people find it they get all possessed and turn wraith-like and if Sauron finds the ring the world as we know it is doomed."

"You have the idea," said Gandalf.

"And Bilbo found it, so wait, was he possessed by it?"

"No. He resisted its evil. In the end he let it go of his own will. He'll be fine."

"Good," said Frodo, sounding relieved.

"But what are we supposed to do about it? Sauron doesn't know it's here, does he?" asked Harry, dreading the answer.

"No one knew it was here anyway," said Frodo, "Except for you, me, Gandalf, and Bilbo. Right Gandalf?"

"There was one other, who knew Bilbo had the Ring," said Gandalf heavily, "I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum, but the Enemy found him first."

Harry gulped. This wasn't good.

"I don't know how long they tortured him, but amidst the endless screams and inane babble they discerned two words: Shire and Baggins."

"Shire! Baggins! But that will lead them here!" cried Frodo, "Take it Gandalf!"

"No!" said Gandalf.

"You must take it!" said Frodo, trying to give it to him, but Gandalf backed away.

"You can not offer me this ring!" he said.

"I'm giving it to you!" said Frodo.

"Just take it!" shouted Harry, "If anyone can carry it it's you! What's the worse that could happen!"

"Through me it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine," snapped Gandalf, "No matter how good my intentions would be!"

"But it cannot stay in the Shire!" cried Frodo, sounding thoroughly distressed now.

"No. No it can't," agreed Gandalf, throwing a meaningful look at the other two.

It hit Frodo then. "What must I do?" he asked.

"You mean what must _we_ do," said Harry, "I'll help you with whatever you have to do!"

Gandalf smiled. He was relieved; he needed Harry to go with Frodo but was afraid the boy would be unwilling. Harry had never really wanted to be here anyway. It was quite a sacrifice on his part, because it showed that he was starting to accept the fact that he wouldn't be going home anytime soon. But there wasn't much time to think of things like this. "You must leave," Gandalf said to them, "And leave quickly."

"Where? Where will we go?" asked Frodo, starting to get his things ready as he spoke.

"Get out of the Shire! Make for the village of Bree!" replied Gandalf.

"Will the Ring be safe there?" asked Harry.

"I don't know Harry," said Gandalf, "But I'll be waiting for you at the Inn of the Prancing Pony. I must see the head of my Order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me; he'll know what to do. Now remember, travel only by day, and stay off the road. And you'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you Frodo, for that name is not safe outside the Shire."

"I can cut across country easily enough," said Frodo.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about us!" said Harry, trying to sound confident.

Gandalf smiled, "My dear Frodo," he said, "Hobbits really are extraordinary creatures. You can learn all there is to know about there ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years, they can still surprise you! As for you Harry, I'll be worrying about you every second of every day until I'm absolutely certain that you are both safe!" No sooner had the words left his mouth when there was a rustling noise from underneath a window. "Get down," whispered Gandalf. Harry, who'd had far too many experiences to not know what to do, grabbed Frodo and ducked down. Gandalf thrust out his staff and hit something in the head. He reached down and pulled out a very startled and very frightened Sam. "Confound it all Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping!" he yelled furiously.

"I haven't been dropping no eaves sir, honest!" stuttered Sam, "I was just under the window there, if you follow me!"

"A little late to be trimming the ferns don't you think? Speak!" Gandalf never let his guard down.

Sam was so scared he was close to tears. "N-nothing important! That is, I heard a great deal about a ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world! Please Mr. Gandalf, sir, don't hurt me! Don't turn me into anything unnatural!"

Harry and Frodo were now laughing so hard it was hard for them to stand. They were half-relieved, half-amused by the sudden turn of events. Even Gandalf was trying hard not to smile. "No," he said, "Perhaps not. I've thought of a better use for you!"

* * *

Gandalf's idea, as it turned out, involved Sam coming along for the journey. In a dangerous mission like this, you could never have too many companions, as far as he was concerned. He led them into the wooded area where they first found Harry and stopped. "Is it safe?" he asked Frodo. Frodo put his hand by the pocket where he kept the Ring. "Never put it on. For the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found!" He looked at Harry. "Harry, I need you to listen to me very carefully. You are of the race of Men, despite the fact that you are a wizard. You will be naturally drawn to the Ring, but you must resist that. If you don't, I don't want to think of the consequences."

Harry nodded. He felt very nervous. He'd never liked that feeling he got that night after Bilbo's party, the night he first saw the Ring.

Gandalf mounted his horse and rode off. The three of them looked at each other, and then set off.

It wasn't too bad of a journey at first, and Harry started to feel better as they walked through country fields and across streams in the open sunshine. Suddenly Sam stopped. "This is it," he said.

"What's it Sam?" asked Frodo.

"If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been."

Harry grinned mischievously, "Kinda exciting isn't it?" Then he walked back to Sam. "I understand Sam," he said, "I remember when I first boarded the train to got to school and learn to be a wizard. I had this feeling like I was taking a big step, starting a whole new life."

"What's a train?" asked Sam.

"Follow me and I'll tell you!"

"That's not fair!" protested Sam.

"Take it or leave it," replied Harry, starting to walk away.

Sam sighed, and ran after him.

That evening they stopped to make camp in a little forest. Suddenly they heard voices singing. "Harry, Sam," said Frodo, smiling, "Wood-elves!"

They ran up near the road, where they could see beautiful people dressed in white, walking along the road, carrying banners and singing something Harry couldn't understand. Despite that he was mesmerized. These elves were definitely _not_ like the miserable little slaves that were used to being forced around by wizards.

"They're going to the harbor beyond the White Towers," said Frodo.

"They're leaving Middle-Earth," said Sam.

"Never to return," finished Frodo.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"The Elves are building ships and sailing across the Sea to the Undying Lands in Valinor. Once they leave they can never come back. It's sort of like dying," explained Frodo.

"So it's like Heaven?" asked Harry.

"In a way, yes."

"Are they all leaving?"

"Most of them are."

"I don't know why," said Sam, "It makes me sad."

And Harry was left to ponder all of this for the rest of the night. When they got up the next morning, he was rather tired.

They continued their journey and started cutting through a corn field. Harry and Sam unintentionally fell back as Harry started telling him all about Hogsmeade, the Three Broomsticks, and their world famous butterbeer. Sam was fascinated, until he looked up and saw that Frodo was gone. "Mr. Frodo?" he called. There was no answer. The two of them began to panic.

"Frodo?" called Sam frantically.

"Oh great," said Harry, "Don't tell me we just lost him. I don't want to face an angry Gandalf!"

"I'm right here!" said Frodo, coming around the corner. The other two were relieved.

"We thought we'd lost you!" said Harry.

"Gandalf specifically told me: 'Don't you lose him Samwise Gamgee!'" said Sam.

"Yeah, he said something similar to me, the night of Bilbo's party," said Harry.

"You guys, we're still in the Shire! What could possibly happen?" asked Frodo/

That's when Merry and Pippin decided to make their entrance by running out of the corn and tackling all three of them. Pippin looked utterly delighted at the sight of them. So did Merry.

"Harry. There you are," he said, sounding all business, "Hold some of these will you?"

"So what did you guys do _this_ time?" asked Harry.

Sam already had the answer. "You've been into Farmer Maggots' crops!"

"_Again_?" asked Harry.

"It was only a few mushrooms…" Merry started to say, but he was interrupted by the sound of dogs barking and Farmer Maggot yelling. "Run!" he yelled.

"I've got a better idea," said Harry. He aimed his wand in the direction of the noises. "_Locomoter Mortis_!"

The yelp that followed told Harry he'd done his job. "You blasted wizard!" he heard Farmer Maggot shirek, "Curse you! I lost the feeling in my legs again!"

Merry and Pippin were laughing. Harry turned to a confused Frodo and Sam and said, "It's the Leg-Locker Curse, I've used it before on little misadventures I've had with these two. But we have to hurry; it wears off pretty quickly."

With that they plunged through the corn and ran until they got to a ledge that led outside the field into the woods. They tried to stop, but bumped into each other and ended up rolling down the hill into a little road that led through the trees.

As they got up, Pippin, of course, was the first one to spot mushrooms growing along side the road. He, Merry, and Sam ran over and started filling their pockets. But Harry was feeling a little jumpy; he'd just got that funny prickling on the back of his neck again. He looked at Frodo, who was staring avidly at the road. He walked up to him. "Frodo," he said quietly, "I think we'd better get off the road and hide. I don't know why, but I get the feeling something's out there."

"You and me both," muttered Frodo. He turned to the others. "Get off the road!" he said, "Quick!"

Luckily the hobbits found the perfect spot to hide, an overgrown tree root that branched out like a roof over there heads when they jumped underneath it. Unluckily for Harry, it wasn't big enough to conceal him. He had to run a little deeper in the woods and get behind one of the thicker trees. Not a moment too soon. He heard a horse ride by, and then it stopped. Something jumped off it. Harry risked a look, and what he saw filled him with dread. A dementor! _What on earth is a dementor doing here?_ he wondered. But then he realized it couldn't be a dementor: the air didn't feel any colder, it wasn't darker, and this thing wasn't gliding, but walking. Harry also remembered that a dementor had no need to ride a horse. So what was it?

Harry was still panicking slightly when it hit him that the hobbits were in more danger than he was. This black rider, or whatever it was, was now crouching near the root, sniffing the air. Any moment now and it would find his friends. Harry had to do something fast. He looked around and saw a rock nearby. "_Accio_," he whispered. His idea was to try to fling the rock somewhere for the rider to see so that he would chase after the "decoy". But the rider heard him, and looked up. It started to make its way towards him.

Harry didn't know what to do. He was trapped. After a few tense seconds, he decided the only thing to do would be to try to repel it like a dementor. He leapt out from behind and yelled, "_Expecto Patronum_!" A huge silvery stag leapt out of his wand and charged the black rider. The effect was better than he had hoped. The rider was hurtled through the air, and fell near its horse. It gave an angry, unearthly screech that made the hairs on the back of Harry's neck stand. But he held his ground, wand raised. "Get it!" he yelled to the stag, and it galloped towards the rider, who immediately fled on his horse. The stag chased it down the road and out of sight.

The hobbits dashed out from behind the road, gasping their thanks. "No problem," said Harry, "But we'd better go!"

They ran through the woods. Even when night fell, they kept going, mainly because they could hear the rider shrieking, and worse still, there were others answering. Harry wanted to light his wand, but he didn't dare attract these riders. So they were forced to keep running in the dark, ducking behind trees occasionally.

Pippin was exhausted, confused, scared, and hungry. "What is going on!" he demanded finally, as they checked to make sure the coast was clear for the tenth time.

Merry wasn't sure, but he had a pretty good idea. "That Black Rider was looking for something. Or _someone_. Frodo?" he asked.

Frodo knew he could trust these two, he just wasn't sure how they would take the information. Finally he said, "I have to leave the Shire. Harry, Sam, and I must get to Bree."

Merry nodded. "Right. Buckleberry Ferry. Follow me!"

They dashed off after Merry, but found their way soon blocked by a Black Rider. The hobbits screamed, while Harry completely lost it and started shooting every spell he could think of. "_Stupefy! Expelliarmus! Inpedimenta!_" he yelled, but the spells seemed to go right through the rider. The most they did was knock him off his horse. But it was enough to give the hobbits time to escape to the Ferry. Except for Frodo. He was slower than the others. Harry quickly scooped him up and ran as fast as he could. He hadn't run this fast since that night in the graveyard. The hobbits were screaming to him, praying for him to run faster. The Rider was close behind though; it was almost upon him when he leapt over the bridge and (with the help of some of his magic) managed to land on the Ferry. He looked back.

The Rider had halted at the edge of the dock. It was shrieking again in anger. Then it turned and followed some more of its friends as they galloped away.

"How far to the nearest crossing," gasped Frodo. After that little episode of being nearly squashed by Harry, it was no wonder he was out of breath.

"Brandywine Bridge, 20 miles," replied Merry. He took a paddle and started to row away.

"Here," said Harry, "It'll help if I do this." He tapped the end of the ferry with his wand and it shot off across the river.

"Thanks Harry," said Merry, "That'll definitely save us some time."

"Good thing too," said Frodo, "We need to get to Bree as soon as possible."

"Why?" asked Pippin, "You still haven't told us what's going on! Who were those Black Riders, and why were they after you?"

Frodo looked at Sam and Harry. Harry nodded. "Go ahead," he said, "Tell them." Sam didn't say anything.

"Ok," said Frodo, "You might want to sit down. This'll take a lot of explaining."

A/N: Ok, I really don't know if Rosie is the bartender of the Green Dragon or not. It's not mentioned in the book, and I'm not sure really what her job at the pub was anyway. The movie never made that really clear. And this chapter was longer than I expected, but I really wanted Chapter 4 to be about Bree. This means the next chapter should be shorter. Review!

**To my reviewers:**

**UK All The Way:** They'll turn up, don't worry! The thing is they all fell into different areas of Middle Earth. The story will mostly be from Harry's POV anyway, until we get to chapters in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

**Genesis:** Thanks for your advice! I'll try to change it as much as possible, though in the end it's going to have to turn out the same. This is more about how the experience changes Harry, because he now has finally found people who understand what he goes through (ex. Frodo, Aragorn). As for the Fellowship, I'm hoping to write a sequel if this one turns out good, where they go to Hogwarts and help with the final battle between Harry and Voldemort. That should make for an interesting turn of events!

Keep reading and reviewing, all of you! It makes me want to write more!


	4. Meetings At Bree

Disclaimer: Guess what? I own absolutely nothing from Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings! Shocking, isn't it? Now that we have that cleared up…

Chapter 4: Meetings at Bree

By the time Harry and the hobbits got to Bree, it was raining. After managing to convince the gate-keeper to let them in, they all headed towards the Prancing Pony. There, they got some bad news.

Gandalf wasn't there yet. The innkeeper, Barliman Butterbur, hadn't seen him for six months. This got Frodo very anxious, though he tried not to show it. "Has Gandalf ever been late before?" asked Harry, once they'd gotten a table.

"Not that I know of," answered Frodo. He looked very uncomfortable. Harry couldn't be too surprised. None of the four hobbits had ever been outside the Shire before. Add the fact that there were dementor-creatures after them, and Gandalf hadn't showed up, and their situation looked pretty bleak.

Merry and Pippin didn't look at it that way though. They were having a great time, drinking and listening to the other men around them. One table was particularly crowded, so the two decided to see what was going on.

It seemed like the attention was centered on two boys who were telling what looked like a very entertaining story. Merry was a little surprised to see that the boys looked only a little older than Harry, yet everyone treated them like the kings of the court. He was also surprised to notice that they were twins; both had identical red hair and freckles. But he was also very interested in the story they were telling.

"It was bloody brilliant! He just swooped down like that, and before that dragon even knew what was happening, he had its golden egg and he flew off and landed safely on the ground!"

The crowd was cheering. "What are they talking about?" asked Pippin.

One man turned to look at him. "Weren't you listening?" he asked incredulously. Pippin shook his head. "Well, we just asked these two if they knew any good stories about monsters like dragons, and they just told us how some _kid_ flew around on his magic _broomstick_ and stole a golden egg from a dragon."

"That's incredible!" said Pippin.

"I don't believe it," said another man, "No kid could face a dragon and live. And broomsticks don't fly!"

"Where we come from they do," said one of the boys.

"Where do you come from?" asked the man, "You never say!"

"That's for us to know, and you to _never_ find out!" said the other boy with a mischievous grin.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked the man.

"Now, now Bill Ferny, don't you want to hear the rest of the story?" said one of the boys. He said the magic words. Everyone immediately turned in their direction to listen.

"What happened next?" asked Pippin, breathless with excitement.

"Well, like I said, this was a tournament, and as Harry just won, we did the only thing that seemed sensible at the time."

"What was that?" asked Merry.

"PARTY!"

Everyone cheered and laughed.

"It was great. We had all the food you could imagine." Pippin started to drool. "Including the Canary Creams."

"What are Canary Creams?" asked Pippin.

The boys burst into wide grins. "Would you like to try one?" asked one of them, "We've got one right here." He pulled it out of his pocket. Pippin nodded eagerly. "Ok, here you go."

Pippin eagerly ate the Canary Cream. "That was deli…" he started to say, but was interrupted as he suddenly turned into a giant canary! The crowd exploded with laughter. Merry was laughing so hard; he was rolling all over the floor with tears in his eyes. After a minute or so, Pippin molted, and turned back into a hobbit. Even he couldn't help but laugh. "What happened? How did you do that?" he asked.

"That's what I'd like to know," said Bill Ferny suspiciously.

"Calm down Ferny," said one of the boys, "It was just a little secret ingredient we added." He grinned at Pippin. "Sorry, mate. Couldn't resist." He stared at Merry and Pippin curiously. "Who are you guys? I don't think we've ever seen you before."

"And believe me," said his twin, "We know everyone around here."

"You're right," said Merry, "We're from the Shire. I'm Merry, and that's Pippin."

"I'm Fred Weasley. This is George."

"Nice to meet you," said George, and they shook hands.

Merry stared at them. "What's the matter?" asked Fred.

"I just realized," said Merry, "You two sound exactly like some of the friends our friend Harry talks about!"

"Harry? Harry _Potter_?" asked George in shock.

"Yeah!" said Pippin, "He's over there!" He pointed at the table where Harry, Frodo, and Sam were so deeply in conversation they hadn't noticed what was going on around them.

Fred and George leapt up and ran over to Harry. Merry and Pippin watched happily as Harry looked up and his eyes widened. The next thing they knew, all three of them were jumping up and down, hugging, laughing, and acting very out of character in their wild excitement.

"Where have you been," gasped Fred finally as they sat down next to the others, "We landed in Bree, and we waited and waited but the rest of you never showed up!"

"I think we all landed in different places," muttered Harry, "But we can't talk about this now, in front of everyone else. We need to talk somewhere in private, so my new friends and I can tell you what's been happening."

"No problem," said Fred, "We live in a room right here in this inn. Follow us."

They all quickly got up and went upstairs to the twins' room. It was a very cozy place, with a big fireplace, a few beds, and some comfy looking armchairs surrounding a little wooden table. On the table was some tea and crumpets.

"Excellent," sighed Fred as he sank into an armchair, "The Prancing Pony has great service. Mr. Butterbur's a friend of ours now, seeing as how we attract so many customers. They like hearing about our little misadventures, then we showed them how to make butterbeer. This place has been packed ever since."

"You know how to make butterbeer!" said Harry in shock.

"Of course," said George, "Come on Harry, we've snuck into Hogsmeade so many times, we pretty much figured out _everything _that goes on in there! Never mind that though, what's new with you?"

Harry quickly filled them in on everything that had happened, from his arrival to the Shire to the story of the Ring, and finally their trip to Bree. The twins were stunned.

"Wow," said George, "And here I thought we were taking a little vacation from all that business with You-Know-Who and the Order and everything back at Hogwarts. Now you're telling us there's someone like that _here_?"

"Who's You-Know-Who?" asked Pippin.

"You know, Voldemort. That's what other people call him because they're afraid to say his name. Remember when I told you that Pippin?" asked Harry.

"Oh yeah," said Pippin.

"So anyway, it'd be better that no one else knows where we're from. You haven't told anyone in Bree, have you?" added Harry anxiously.

"Nope. As far as their concerned, we're travelers from a distant land. Anyway, you saw that Bill Ferny. He doesn't believe any of our stories. I'm sure no one else does either," said Fred.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," said Harry, "Sam saw someone staring at us a little while ago. Mr. Butterbur said his name was Strider, and that he was something called a Ranger."

"And they said he was dangerous," Sam piped up.

"Who, Strider?" scoffed Fred, "Oh he's harmless. Keeps to himself mostly from what we've seen. He never gets friendly with anyone in Bree, and no one seems to encourage him. They all seem to shun the Rangers, but I can't figure out why. They never bother anyone."

"They could be servants of the Enemy," said Merry, "What do you think Frodo?"

"I don't know," said Frodo quietly, "Bilbo never mentioned them to me before. They may be harmless like Fred suggests, but they could be dangerous. I think I'll just stay clear of them to be safe."

"All right, but I'm telling you, you don't have to worry about Strider, he's totally harmless," said Fred. He yawned suddenly. "It's getting pretty late. Unless there's anything else important you need to tell me, I'm going to bed."

"Me too," said George, "Do you guys need rooms here?"

"No, Mr. Butterbur told us there are some hobbit-size rooms available," said Frodo.

"Well, you won't fit in one of those Harry," said George, "But that's not a problem. We have an extra bed right here."

"Thanks guys," said Harry.

"Goodnight," said the hobbits, and they left.

Harry was so tired, he climbed right into bed. It was very comfortable, but he still missed the Gryffindor dormitory at Hogwarts. Finding Fred and George had made him realize just how homesick he was. He hoped the others were nearby.

_But you can't go home_, he thought, _You have to help Frodo_. Harry suddenly felt torn. When he first arrived in Middle Earth, he loved the Shire, but all he thought of was going home. Now he wasn't sure if he should leave. He'd sworn to Gandalf that he'd protect Frodo. What should he do?

Just as he was starting to drift off into an uneasy sleep, the door banged open, and Sam, Merry, and Pippin stumbled in, looking terrified.

"You have to come help!" cried Sam, "We had just gotten downstairs when Frodo bumped into that Bill Ferny and lost his balance. He must've had the Ring in his hand, because when he fell, it flew into the air and landed on his finger, and he disappeared. I didn't like the look on that old Bill Ferny's face at all. He took one look at the floor and dashed off. We started to go back up the stairs for you three, when Frodo reappeared, and that Strider fellow came up, muttered something about attracting too much attention, and dragged Frodo away! We have to help him!"

"Ok, Sam, calm down," said Harry, sitting up.

"Yeah, we'll help him, don't worry," said George, and all six of them dashed downstairs; Harry, Fred, and George with their wands out.

Strider was busy trying to get Frodo to trust him when he heard footsteps. He drew his sword just as the door burst open and Harry, Fred, and George ran in with their wands pointed at him.

To Harry's surprise, the ranger had an almost panicked look on his face. He hadn't expected Strider to know that the wands were actually dangerous. "Put those away," Strider said through clenched teeth, "If anyone sees those…"

"How do you know what they are, and why would you care?" asked Harry fiercely.

"I know because my friend Gandalf told me," replied Strider, "He told me to be on the lookout for four hobbits and a boy who happened to be a wizard. You certainly fit his description. And as for you two," he added, eyeing the twins, "You need to be more careful. I've been suspicious of you for a long time. Though I never understood how your stories could be true, about flying broomsticks and candy that makes your tongue grow four feet long, something told me you didn't make them up. And I can assure you, there will be others who are just as interested in you as me, but far more dangerous."

"And how do we know _you're_ not dangerous?" asked Sam threateningly.

"I think we can trust him," said Frodo suddenly. It was the first time he'd said anything in front of them. "He hasn't exactly harmed us in anyway, and I think if he really wanted anything of ours, he would've attacked us already. Besides," he said, turning to look at Strider, "You don't _feel_ evil, if you know what I mean."

Harry looked at Strider and immediately understood what Frodo was saying. When he first met Draco Malfoy, his archenemy was somewhat polite to him. He'd at least treated him like he was worth talking to. But Harry never liked the look of him, no matter how civil Malfoy pretended to act; he always seemed to have the shadow of a sneer on his face. Strider, on the other hand, looked much more sincere.

"Who are you Strider?" he asked slowly, "What's your real name? And why do you want to help us so much?"

Before Strider could answer, they heard a noise in the hallway; someone had sneezed. Merry and Pippin, who were closest to the doorway, immediately leapt out just in time to see someone run out the door into the night. But they knew who it was.

"It was that Bill Ferny," said Merry, "I think he was listening to us!"

"I never trusted that git," muttered Fred.

"Well, we need to decide on a plan now," said Strider, "I'm afraid he may have gone to inform someone of our whereabouts."

"You mean the Black Riders?" asked Harry.

"They are not just black riders," said Strider, "I'll explain them to you later. Right now we need to move. You can't stay in your rooms tonight."

Fred and George suddenly grinned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking George?" asked Fred.

"I think so," said George.

"What have you guys got up your sleeves this time?" asked Harry.

"_This_," said Fred dramatically, and the twins proceeded to explain their plan.

* * *

That night, just as Strider predicted, four Black Riders crashed through the gate and rode through Bree. They headed straight for the inn and drew their swords out. Without so much as a warning, they charged right in, past the bar, and into the hobbits' room.

The first thing they noticed was that the boy their leader had encountered was not there. No matter. Once they had the Ring, Sauron could come and deal with him. They raised their swords and each stood beside a bed. Then they struck!

But they had not hit hobbits. They had instead hit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' newest merchandise: Exploding Pillows! The next thing the riders knew, there were fireworks in the shapes of "ZZZZZZ" exploding in their faces. If there was one thing these black menaces hated, it was fire, or anything related to it. They shrieked loudly and fled from the room, furious that they had been tricked so easily and that the Ring was gone.

Strider was looking out the window of a barn across from the inn. He watched as the Riders mounted their horses and left. "It's safe now," he said to the others.

They had all agreed that the loft above the barn was the safest place to hide. But it had still been a very close call. Upon hearing the explosions in the room, Harry had to place a Silencing Charm on Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, who were roaring with laughter. The younger hobbits were absolutely delighted with the twins' prank. Already they had ordered about a dozen pillows for when they returned to the Shire.

"That was brilliant!" said Harry, as he lifted the charm,"How did you make those?"

"We had some firecrackers in our pockets when we went through the portal," explained Fred, "Actually, we were on our way to Snape's private storerooms to find some ingredients for our latest merchandise before we saw you guys."

But Frodo was more interested in the Riders. "What are they?" he asked.

"They were once Men," said Strider. He proceeded to explain how Sauron had tricked them into taking Nine Rings of Power which had slowly corrupted them until they had no will of their own, except the will of the Ring. They weren't alive, but they weren't dead either. They just existed as shapeless menaces. "They are the Nazgul," said Strider, "Ringwraiths. They will never stop hunting you."

Harry felt a chill run down his spine. Would this nightmare ever end? In spite of all the dangers he'd faced at Hogwarts, and the promise he'd made to Frodo, he wanted nothing more than to go home. Yet, somehow, when he was around Strider, he felt safer. He was now confident that this man, though suspicious-looking at first, was really all right and would look after them. Then he remembered something.

"You still haven't answered my questions," he said.

Strider turned and looked at him. "About who I am? And why I care? Because that is what I do. That's what all the Rangers do. It's because of us that these lands are safe from evil."

"But you never get any credit for it!" said Harry, sounding shocked.

"No. You saw old Butterbur. Most people here think we're dangerous rough men who are not to be trusted. But we don't care. We Rangers keep to ourselves mostly. We hardly ever make real friends."

Harry suddenly felt nothing but sympathy for the man sitting by the window. He fully understood, considering half the wizarding world thought he was a raving lunatic. It was obvious though, that unlike Harry, Strider didn't really care what others thought of him. He did what he had to do to stop evil. If no one else appreciated him, too bad.

"It's not really that bad," he said to Harry, as if reading his thoughts, "As for who I am, I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and you should know that if by my life or death I can protect you, I will."

He then sat up, suddenly all business. "We should spend the rest of the night here; then move on. That is, if you will have me as a companion."

"Of course!" said Harry. The others readily agreed.

"Good," said Aragorn, now smiling, "I know some paths in the wilderness outside Bree that no one else knows of. With any luck, I can get you to Rivendell in a few weeks. You'll be safe there from the wraiths."

"What's Rivendell?" asked George.

"Are you guys coming?" asked Harry.

"Of course we are!" cried Fred, "It's not like we can back down now, can we?"

"Yeah, don't worry Harry, we'll stick with you," said George, "But what is Rivendell?"

"It's an elven kingdom by the Misty Mountains," replied Aragorn, "I used to live there; so I know where to find it."

"You lived in Rivendell?" asked Frodo in surprise. He'd heard so much about it from Bilbo; it was hard to believe that this ranger had even set foot there.

"A long time ago," said Aragorn shortly. He was not in the mood to go into his personal history. It would lead to all sorts of questions he didn't want to answer. "It's time you all got some sleep. We'll have a long day tomorrow."

The others realized just then how tired they were, so they did as they were told. But although he was tired, Harry was having trouble sleeping. His mind was buzzing with all the events that had happened tonight. He'd found two of his friends, he found out he was being hunted by evil shapeless beings, and he had met someone new who was quite a puzzle in himself. In spite it all, though, Harry couldn't help but notice he felt strangely connected to the man. It was strange, since they hardly knew each other, but he felt that after living what must be a dangerous life, Aragorn must know how it felt to be misunderstood, and always have everything happen to you, the way Harry felt when he dealt with Voldemort. He was dying to know more about Aragorn, but decided not to push it. He would tell Harry more when and if he felt like it. With this in mind, Harry finally fell asleep.

A/N: Sorry if this wasn't as good, but you must understand that by the time I got to Aragorn, I was having a severe case of writer's block, so if any of the lines are either movie-related, book-related, or just plain clichéd, they were either unavoidable, or it was all I could think of at the moment. I'm sorry.

Keep up the reviews; I love them! Like I said before, it makes me want to keep writing!

**UK All the Way:** Thank you for the advice. I'm trying to stear clear of movie lines, but sometimes when it's unavoidable, they'll come up. I'm doing my very best. I have to say I grinned when I read your review because I knew Fred and George were coming up in the very next chapter. Rest assured they and Merry and Pippin will become inseparable!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **I know, and like I said to UK All the Way, I'll try and avoid the movie lines. I'm glad you liked the story. I liked yours:)


	5. Ringwraith Encounters

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. Never have, never will. On that happy note…

Chapter 5: Ringwraith Encounters

The next afternoon, the eight companions could be found plunging deeper and deeper into the heart of the wilderness outside of Bree. Aragorn had already decided that they would not take the Road; it would most likely be watched.

It was a smart plan, but it meant a slow, tiring, and rather boring journey. Although no one tried to show it, only Aragorn wasn't exhausted. They stopped for a quick lunch and then moved on. Pippin wasn't too happy about this. As a hobbit, he never went a day without at least two breakfasts. But Aragorn was firm. He threw them each an apple, but that was it. As far as he was concerned, they had to get used to not eating every five minutes. Their danger was far from over.

Fred and George had been eager to go, but several _very_ uneventful hours later, they were getting extremely bored. They stayed close to Merry and Pippin, who were like their hobbit alter-egos, but there didn't seem to be anything to be afraid of. It was like the events of last night had been some sort of freakish nightmare, except that the twins had seen the proof when they came into the bedroom and saw the remains of the Exploding Pillows.

Harry and Sam were sticking close to Frodo, who seemed lost in thought. Sam was leading their beast of burden, a tired old pony named Bill. Surprisingly, they got it from none other than Bill Ferny himself. No doubt he thought it would only slow down their journey. So just in case, Fred and George managed to get another horse from Mr. Butterbur, a palominonamed Celer,which Harry lead now.But although he looked like he'd been half-starved, Bill had proved to be an excellent pony, as he willingly carried as many packs as he could on his back and following the companions wherever they went.

After a few days of walking through fields and wooded areas, the group has to cross the Midgewater Marshes. It was slow going because of the wet and wild terrain, as well as the mosquitoes, or midges, constantly biting them. Harry tried warding them off with his wand, but there were simply too many.

It was better at night though, and Aragorn went out and hunted a stag for them to eat. It was a delicious meal despite the circumstances. Feeling full and sleepy, Harry, the hobbits, and the twins lay down to sleep while Aragorn kept watch. Harry was just drifting off when he heard a low voice singing in some strange language. It was beautiful; Harry found himself mesmerized as he listened to it.

"Who is she?" asked Frodo suddenly. Harry nearly jumped in surprise. He looked to up to find Frodo staring at Aragorn. With a shock he realized it was the ranger who had been singing.

"It is the Lay of Luthien," Aragorn was saying to Frodo.

"Who's Luthien?" asked Harry, "And what language was that?"

"That was Sindarin, a form of Elvish," said Aragorn, "Luthien was an elven princess who gave her love to Beren, a mortal man, long ago."

"What happened to her?" asked Frodo.

"She died," he replied simply, though he sounded a little upset.

"What's the matter?" asked Harry.

"It's nothing," said Aragorn quickly, "Get some sleep, both of you." He turned his back to them and stared straight ahead as if nothing had happened. Harry rolled over and tried to get some sleep, wondering all the while about the mysterious man sitting nearby.

After about a week, the eight of them finally made it to a hill called Weathertop. It was a huge place, with the ruins of some old watchtower sticking out of it here and there. Aragorn lead them to an inlet along the hillside and announced that they would rest there for the night. He handed them all swords. "Keep these close," he said, "I'm going to go have a look around. Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Fred, George, you stay here. Harry, could you come with me?"

"Sure," said Harry, and he got up and followed Aragorn.

They walked along a narrow path that lead to the other side of the hill. "Where are we going?" asked Harry.

"I'm looking for a sign to see if Gandalf was here," he replied, "And I wanted to talk to you."

Harry stared at him. "What for?"

"Well," said Aragorn, "That night in Bree, you asked me who I was, and now I want to know who you are. Gandalf only told me a little, and Fred and George mainly talked about their own misadventures. But is it true that you once defeated an evil sorcerer?"

"Yes," Harry muttered, "But I was only a baby at the time, and my parents died in the process. The only reason why I survived was because my mother died to save me, and it acted as a countercharm. When this sorcerer, Voldemort, tried to kill me, his curse rebounded off of me onto him, giving me this scar on my forehead, and he got stripped of his powers. But he didn't die. He's still alive, and last year he used some of my blood to regain his body-long story-and he's tried to kill me countless times and I keep barely escaping. But he still hunts me; he's never given me a break." Just bringing it up made Harry miserable.

Aragorn was staring at him with nothing but deepest sympathy in his eyes. "I'm sorry Harry," he said, "I didn't know."

"It's ok," sighed Harry, "It's actually kind of nice to meet someone who doesn't know who I am. Everyone in my world used to think I was this big hero, always staring at my scar and pointing. It was annoying. But then when I tried to tell them that Voldemort got his body back, they all thought I was mad. Now nearly everyone thinks I'm a dangerous lunatic."

"You know," said Aragorn quietly, "You and I have a lot in common."

"I'll say!" roared Harry, "Everyone practically flees you, even though you're the one protecting them! How do you do it? How do you keep it in? I can't stand it when people say I'm lying; I practically explode in their faces!"

"I know," said Aragorn sadly, "It must be terribly difficult for someone as young as you to go through so much. For me, I'm so used to it I hardly care. My life has always been about anonymity, mostly because, like you, I also feel hunted."

"Why?" asked Harry. He was certain there was something the ranger wasn't telling him. Perhaps he would finally open up.

Aragorn sighed and thought for a moment. Part of him was dying to tell Harry his secret; his heart told him that this boy, of all people, would understand. But it was so much more complicated then that. Aragorn was not exactly thrilled with his destiny. He never told anyone about it if he could help it. "Let's just say that I could hardly be called a friend of Sauron's," he said finally, "Anyone who openly defies the Enemy is automatically hunted."

Harry knew there was more to it then that, but once again, he didn't push it.

Night had fallen by now, and the two were still walking silently around the hill, searching for any sign of Gandalf. So far there search proved useless. Then they heard a shriek on the other side of the hill. Harry would know that shriek anywhere. "Oh no," he gasped.

"The Ringwraiths! They've found us!" cried Aragorn, and he raced off, Harry struggling to keep up.

* * *

While Aragorn and Harry were gone, Fred, George, and the hobbits had settled down and made camp. Frodo was so tired between the weight of the Ring and the long journey that he lay down and promptly fell asleep. Sam took out his pots and pans and muttered something about preparing dinner. Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin took it upon themselves to be the entertainers.

"So what do you do when you're not eating, drinking, or pranking?" asked George.

The hobbits thought for a minute. "We sing and dance sometimes when we're at the Green Dragon," said Pippin.

"Really? What type of songs?" asked Fred.

"Drinking songs of course!" said Merry, "That's all anyone sings at a pub like the Green Dragon!"

"You mean like songs about beer?" asked Fred.

"Yeah! Do you know any?" asked Pippin.

"The only one we know is that one we heard about from those American Muggle-borns we met at the Quidditch World Cup. Remember Fred?"

"Oh yeah," said Fred, "Strange lot."

"Yeah, but those kids knew some of the world's greatest annoying song! Remember?"

"Yeah! You mean like that one, 'I Know A Song That Gets On Everybody's Nerves'?"

"Yeah, but the one I'm thinking about is that one called '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall'."

"I love it already!" said Pippin.

Fred was laughing. "That was the best song EVER!" he said, "Remember how we wouldn't stop singing it after the Cup?"

"Everyone hated us!" said George gleefully.

"How does it go?" asked Merry.

"It's quite simple," said Fred, "It goes like this:

_99 bottles of beer on the wall_

_99 bottles of beer_

_You take one down and pass it around_

_98 bottles of beer on the wall!_"

"You see?" said George, "It goes on and on like that, until you get to 1! Isn't that just the most annoying thing you could ever hope to sing?"

"It sounds…beautiful," said Merry.

"It sounds…annoying," said Pippin.

"IT'S PERFECT!" they shouted. And all four of them were off. They got down to 45, getting louder and louder, when Sam shouted that dinner was ready. Already he had decided that he despised that song with all his being.

By about this time, Frodo woke up, mainly due to the noise of the song, but also to the smell of bacon. He leapt up. "What are you doing!" he cried in horror.

"Cooking tomatoes and some nice crispy bacon!" said Merry.

"We saved some for you Mr. Frodo," said Sam. Actually he practically had to guard Frodo's share from the four hungry boys.

But Frodo wasn't interested in food. He was stamping out the fire. "Put it out you fools!" he yelled.

"Relax, Frodo!" said Fred, trying to protect his food. Before they could start fighting however, a familiar shriek filled the air. They all looked down to see five Ringwraiths headed towards Weathertop.Bill and Celer squealed in terror.

"Run!" yelled Frodo. Nobody hesitated, but scrambled along a path and up some old worn stairs to the top of the hill. There the hobbits went back to back in the center with their swords drawn, while Fred and George were trying to shield them from all sides.

Then they came. Swiftly, but silently, the wraiths crept up the top of the hill and made towards the six friends. Fred and George made to block them.

"Hello," said Fred as cheerfully as possible, "Did you come back for more pillows?"

It took about five seconds for the wraiths to realize what he was saying. When they did, they howled with anger and drew their swords.

"I don't think they liked them Fred," said George.

Fred pretended to look crestfallen. "But…but…we spent three months on those! Are you saying they don't appreciate our hard effo…uh-oh!"

Two wraiths grabbed the twins and slammed them against the rocks, leaving them temporarily senseless.

Sam leapt forward and screamed, "Back you devils!" but ended up landing near his friends. Merry and Pippin were pushed aside, and then the wraiths made for Frodo. Frodo tried to desperately back away, but he had another problem. He was getting an irresistible urge to put on the Ring. As he backed away and fell, he found himself pulling it out and placing it on his finger. What he saw next terrified him.

The wraiths were transformed. They no longer were wearing black hooded cloaks, but were dressed in white robes. Their whole bodies were a blinding white, yet they had wizened old faces that seemed screwed up in torment. The Ring showed the riders for what they truly were: the shadows of great kings of old, tricked by Sauron to become his slaves forever.

The leader reached out to take the Ring from Frodo, but he pulled it back, so the wraith stabbed him in the shoulder. Frodo screamed in pain and managed to pull off the Ring.

At that moment Harry and Aragorn came flying up out of nowhere. Aragorn brandished a torch and hit the wraiths with it. They were shrieking in terror.

"_Incendio!_" screamed Harry, hitting one that was about to stab Aragorn. "_Expecto Patronum!_" he cried, and a large silver stag leaped out, chasing most of the wraiths off, except for one,who was cautiously making his way towards Frodo.

Aragorn heard it. In one quick motion he whipped around and flung the torch straight into the Ringwraith. It screamed and fled.

"Strider!" cried Sam. He, Merry, and Pippin were gathered around Frodo, who was moaning in pain.

"What happened!" asked Harry frantically.

"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade," said Aragorn.

"It's all our fault!" groaned Fred, "We should've protected him."

"It wasn't your fault," said Merry comfortingly, "There was nothing any of us could do."

Aragorn picked up Frodo. "This is beyond my skill to heal; he needs elvish medicine! Hurry!"

They ran as fast as they could. It was still six days from Rivendell, and Frodo was fading fast. They ran all night until they got to a little grove where they decided to rest. Fred and George were surprised to see the three stone statues of trolls there.

"It's Mr. Bilbo's trolls!" said Sam.

"The ones that Gandalf fooled?" asked Harry in amazement.

"What are you talking about?" asked George.

Harry related the story to them. The twins would normally have found it very funny, if they hadn't been so worried about Frodo. Aragorn had told them that the poison in the blade would soon turn him into a wraith.

The ranger was now standing guard as usual, thinking hard. Then he had an idea. "Sam," he asked, "Do you know what athelas is?"

Sam did. It was a healing herb that might help them slow the poison. Harry vaguely thought he might've heard about it in Potions once. It was supposed to be very rare.

Aragorn proceeded to go on a desperate search for the plant. He hadn't been gone for long when he returned, but he wasn't alone.

A bright white light seemed to fill the whole woods. Someone rode in on a white horse. When the glare died down, they saw the rider was a beautiful woman with long, flowing brown hair and piercing blue eyes. What was most noticeable about her, however, was her pointed ears.

"She's an elf," said Sam breathlessly.

"She's _beautiful_!" said Fred. George didn't say anything. He had started to drool.

The elf had bent over Frodo and was muttering something in what Harry realized must be Elvish. Aragorn hurried to her side and started applying athelas to the wound.

"He's not going to last," the woman was saying, "We must get him to my father." She picked Frodo up and put him on her horse.

"Uh, Aragorn, mate, who's that?" asked Fred in a strangled voice.

Aragorn looked at the stunned looks on the twins' faces, smiled, and said, "This is Arwen. Arwen, this is Harry Potter, Fred and George Weasley, Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, and Pippin Took."

Arwen smiled in greeting, then her eyes widened as she saw the young wizards. She muttered something to Aragorn in Elvish, and he nodded slowly.

They then turned to the horse and started talking rapidly in Elvish. It sounded like an argument to Harry, although he couldn't tell for sure.

"What's the matter?" he asked them.

"Arwen wants to take Frodo on her horse to Rivendell. I can't let her do it; the wraiths are still out there; it's too dangerous," said Aragorn.

"I do not fear them," replied Arwen.

Harry stared at the horse for a few seconds, and then turned to the others. If only there was some way to distract the Ringwraiths while Arwen and Frodo fled for Rivendell. But there was no way they could fool the Nazgul, no way at all. Unless…

Harry turned to Aragorn and Arwen. This was the craziest plan he had ever come up with, but it might work. "I have an idea," he said. "I'll take Celer and a makeshift hobbit decoy and ride away in the opposite direction. I'm hoping the wraiths will see me and come after me. They'll never notice Arwen and Frodo, and the rest of you can escape!"

"That is mad!" said Aragorn.

"Maybe, but I've done plenty of mad and dangerous things before," said Harry, "I'm sure this'll be no different."

"It might work," said Arwen. She fully believed that Harry would be fine against the Nazgul; she knew well about all the dangers he'd faced before.

"All right," said Aragorn, giving in rather easily. "But be careful!"

"I'll try my best," said Harry. With that he began untying Celer's reins from a nearby tree. The others immediately began taking out some spare clothes and stuffing them with everything they could find. Soon they were all ready.

"Ride hard," said Aragorn.

Harry urged the horse forward, and it galloped off into the dawn.

For a while, he met nothing, and began to think this was a waste of time. Then he heard the tell-tale shriek of the Ringwraiths. Sure enough, there they were, all nine of them, galloping towards him at top speed. Harry pulled harder on the reins, willing Celer to go faster. But the Nine had raced ahead and started to cut him off. Harry desperately zigzagged the horse in every direction he could think of, but it was soon too late. The Nazgul surrounded him. Then one charged forward and knocked Celer down. As the horse struggled to get up, two wraiths seized Harry and pinned him down. Another picked up the decoy.

Harry held his breath, waiting to see what would happen next. The wraith pulled off the hood to seize the Ring around what he thought was Frodo's neck and found…nothing but one of the packs of food!

The Ringwraiths shrieked in anger. The leader raised his sword and pointed it at Harry. "Where is the Halfling boy?" he hissed in anger.

"I don't know," said Harry.

"Don't lie!" snarled the wraith, "I assure you, the Dark Lord does not take kindly to liars!"

"Well, technically, I'm not lying," said Harry, a lot more bravely than he felt at the moment, "He'll be long gone by now; I just lured you all away from him. I can't believe you were stupid enough to fall for that trick!"

The wraith hissed angrily, raised his sword to kill Harry, and then suddenly stopped. He turned to the others. "If he speaks the truth, then that must mean they're headed for the _elven_ stronghold," he said, saying _elven_ as if it were a particularly nasty swear word. "We have to get the Ring _now_!" he said. "Leave the boy. We'll be back for you later, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday, you mark my words," he said fiercely to Harry. And they all rode off.

Harry was mentally kicking himself. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been to accidentally tell them wear Arwen was. If they got caught it was his fault. He could think of nothing else to do but jump on Celer and chase after the wraiths.

But the Nazgul were too fast. By the time he managed to follow their fading trail to what Aragorn had said was called the Fords of Bruien, the wraiths were already halfway across the river. Soon they would be in Rivendell. That's when something extraordinary happened. The river began to rise. Then out of nowhere came a huge wave in the shape of horses, rearing and plunging. The Ringwraiths let out a final scream before vanishing under the water.

It was all well and good for Frodo and Arwen, but it left Harry standing on the other side of the river with absolutely no way of getting across. That is, until an elf came out from the trees.

"Come," he called out, "There is a bridge over there," he added, pointing a few yards down.

Harry rode across and headed for the elf, who directed him to the gates of the great elven city. He rode in and saw steps that lead to the main building of a vast, but beautiful city. Descending the steps was yet another elf with long brown hair like Arwen's, and wearing flowing robes rich in many different colors. "Hello Harry," he said, smiling, "My name is Lord Elrond. Welcome to Rivendell."

Harry was stunned by the majestic beauty of the place, but it wasn't the time for a tour. Elrond took his arm. "Follow me," he said, "There's someone you need to see."

_Frodo_ thought Harry. He hoped the little hobbit was all right. But he must be awake if Elrond was taking him to see him. Who else could possibly want to see him, Harry?

He was dead wrong.

A/N: About "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall". Well, I must confess, I love that song, and I knew it was the type of song Fred and George would sing. Its main purpose was comic relief, but I'm starting to worry that it might've been too random. I have no idea who invented that song, or when they did, so the twins technically could've picked it up at the World Cup. Also, I know all the horses fled Bree when the riders came, but I had to throw Celer in their in order to do the decoy maneuver.

**To my wonderful reviewers:**

**UK All the Way: **Thank you for your rate of approval! And thanks a bunch for always leaving reviews! It makes me so happy!

**xoxoJUICYGIRLxoxo: **I'm glad you enjoyed it!


	6. Three Down, Two to Go

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, blah, blah, blah.

Chapter 6: Three Down, Two to Go

Elrond led Harry up the flight of steps and through a long hallway. Harry was gazing at the place in awe; he'd never seen anything so beautiful before.

There were no real windows in the buildings, just open spaces in the shape of windows that gave it anoutdoors feeling. Every now and then a peaceful light breeze would come through. The air wasn't too hot or too cold. Everything was just perfect.

They walked past a balcony on the path and Harry had to resist the urge to lean over it and gaze at the majestic beauty around him. There was a huge waterfall with crystal clear water flowing into a river below. The whole country was surrounded by mountains and forest. Harry was suddenly longing to walk along the forest paths, over the little bridge over the river, and just wander lazily through it all. Then he remembered why he was here in the first place and hurried after Elrond.

Elrond turned to him and smiled. "Wait here," he said. Then he went through a door and left. Harry stood there, hoping against hope that Frodo was awake after all, and that the elves had managed to heal him.

After a few minutes he heard the door open, he had barely turned around and all he managed to see was a blur of bushy brown hair before he was crushed in an enormous hug. "HARRY!" cried a very familiar voice, "Oh, Harry, thank goodness you're safe, Arwen told me what you were doing, and I've just been so worried!"

"Hermione!" gasped Harry, "Let me up."

For it was Hermione. She let him up, and stood, gazing at him, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness. He was dumbfounded. "Hermione?" he asked, "How did you get here? How did we all get here? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, "I've just been worried about you! I'm sorry, I realize now that I should've gone into more detail about what we were about to do, but I was so excited to try the portal out to see if it worked, and then Fred and George's arrival startled me! But I'm really sorry about what happened, something malfunctioned, but I've been studying in Lord Elrond's library, and I think I known what went wrong."

"So we can go home?" asked Harry hopefully.

"Of course not!" cried Hermione, "We still need to find Ron and Ginny!"

Harry immediately felt guilty and ashamed. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about his other friends so quickly. But with all the excitement involving Aragorn and the Nazgul and the Ring, he'd barely given Ron, Hermione, or Ginny a thought over the past week since he left Bree.

"Are you alright Harry?" asked Hermione, looking concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. So what about you? What've you been up to all this time?"

"Oh, well, I chased after Fred and George as they went through the time portal, you already know that, and then the next thing I knew I was lying in a bed in some sort of hospital room here in Rivendell. Some elves found me outside Bruien and brought me directly to Elrond. He patched me up." Hermione's eyes were shining. "Aren't the elves simply wonderful?"

"Yeah, I guess, I only really talked to three: Elrond, Arwen, and this elf by the gates…"

"Oh that's Glorfindel," said Hermione, "He's a very powerful elf; he was going to go and look for you all but Arwen insisted. She's a fascinating person, one of my best friends here."

"You and Arwen are friends?" asked Harry.

"Yes of course," said Hermione, "Anyway, Elrond suggested I stay here, and so I did. I mostly spent time in his library, trying to find a way home. I knew there was no point in looking for the rest of you because there was no way to get back."

"How'd you know the rest of us were here?"

"Well, I guessed really, but I figured once I jumped in, you'd all follow, and it appears I was right."

"Harry!" yelled a voice.

Harry turned around to see Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin racing down the hallway towards him. He smiled. "Hey guys!"

"You made it! You're alive! Excellent!" cried George. Then he saw who was standing behind Harry. "Hermione!" he exclaimed.

"Hello you two," she said.

"We found you! All right!" yelled Fred ecstatically. The twins raced over to hug Hermione.

"Now you can get us home!" cried George.

"Not yet!" cried Hermione, "How many times do I have to say it? We can't leave until we've found Ron and Ginny!"

"Oh yeah…" said George.

"Aw, we can leave ol' Ickle Prefect behind, can't we?" asked Fred with an evil grin.

"No we can't," said Hermione in a dead serious voice, "I can't believe you would even suggest a thing like that Fred!"

"Relax, Hermione, I was just joking!"

"Um, I'm sorry to interrupt, but, who's that?" asked Merry.

"Oh, sorry guys," said Harry, "This is one of my best friends, Hermione Granger."

"So _you're_ Hermione?" asked Merry, reaching out to shake her hand, "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," said Hermione, shaking his hand, "Are you two hobbits, like Bilbo?"

"Bilbo!" cried Harry, "Bilbo's here?"

"Yes, you know him?" replied Hermione.

"Of course we know him, he's Frodo's uncle!" said Pippin, "He disappeared at his own birthday party and no one in the Shire knows where he went!"

"Oh yeah, Gandalf told me Bilbo went to stay with the elves," said Harry, "I forgot about that."

"Is that so, Mr. Potter?" said another voice.

Harry turned around. "Gandalf!" he cried.

"Yes, I'm here too," he said, smiling happily. Then he looked at Harry with concern. "Are you alright Harry?" he asked, "Did the Ringwraiths catch up with you?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine, they didn't really do anything to me."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well, ok, they did point their swords at me a couple of times, and kind of threatened to kill me," he said, ignoring Hermione's gasp of horror, "But I'm _fine_ Gandalf, I really am!"

"All right, as long as you're not hurt," he said.

"Is Frodo going to be ok?" asked Harry.

"Lord Elrond is attending to him now. I believe he will be back on his feet in a day or two."

"Good," said Harry, breathing a sigh of relief, "What should we do now?"

"For now, I suggest you all relax and enjoy Rivendell. Now that you have accomplished your mission in bringing the Ring to Rivendell, you may find you have nothing else left to do. We will have a meeting in a few days to discuss the fate of the Ring. Even now, people from all over Middle-Earth are arriving here: Elves, Men, and Dwarves."

Hermione looked very excited. For her, being able to see all these creatures she'd so far only heard or read about was a dream come true. "May we come to the meeting?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound too interfering.

"We would like nothing more," said Gandalf, "By all means please do! In fact, I believe your presence is mandatory. I do not think your coming here at this pinnacle point in our history was a mere coincidence." Upon saying this, he walked away, humming to himself. Harry was once again reminded of Dumbledore.

* * *

For the next few days, they all did exactly as Gandalf suggested. By day three, the companions were delighted when Frodo came out to join them. He wanted to know everything that happened to them after he was stabbed, and was particularly interested in what Harry had to tell him about the flooding of the River Bruien. He had barely been conscious when Arwen brought him to Rivendell; he had almost felt like he was only half there. 

Meanwhile, Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin had become inseparable. They were almost constantly pulling pranks on almost everyone they met. They drew the line at Gandalf and Elrond; otherwise, no one else was safe from them. Their very first day in Rivendell, they "accidentally" fed Arwen a Canary Cream, bewitched Hermione's favorite books so they yelled at her whenever she turned the page, turned the entire main hallway into something new the twins had invented called the "Portable Swamp", and switched nearly everyone's pillows with Exploding ones. And that was just the first day. Merry and Pippin also inspired the twins to create "Magical Mushrooms", which turned your head into a, well, mushroom.

"Remember to save some for us when we get back to the Shire," said Merry, "Let's tell old Maggot that we decided to pay him back for the ones we stole, Pippin!" he added with an evil grin.

"Well, we definitely will put some aside for you guys, as our esteemed partners in crime," said Fred, bowing.

"But we do need the rest for our future joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!" said George proudly.

"If you ever _do_ start a joke shop, which I doubt!"

The four friends turned around. Hermione was standing there with a frown on her face.

"What if we already got premises?" asked George defensively.

"But there's no way you could have! It costs so much money to rent a shop in Diagon Alley!"

"You saying we don't have any money!" demanded Fred, growing red in the face.

"Oh…of course not!" said Hermione, remembering how touchy Ron used to get on the subject of money. "I never said you didn't have _anything_, but I'm sure your parents don't know, so you couldn't have gotten anything from them, and I know you made a lot of money at Hogwarts, but even that doesn't cover it! You haven't been doing anything illegal, have you?" she asked anxiously.

"'Course not," said Fred, "But I'm afraid we are not at the liberty to say who our most generous donor was. Sorry."

Before Hermione could protest, Harry, Frodo, and Sam came bursting in. "You should see the entrance to Rivendell!" gasped Sam, "All different people are pouring in to see Elrond!"

They all ran over to the nearest balcony to watch. A man that looked a little bit like Aragorn came riding in magnificently on his horse. Many dwarves were marching in, looking slightly fearsome with their long beards, stern looks, and battle axes strapped to their backs. Elves were coming in as well; one in particular came in on his white horse and leapt of gracefully, gazing in awe at the beauty around him.

"Elrond had said different people would be coming from all over, asking for his advice," said Hermione. Her eyes were shining. "Isn't this so exciting?"

"Yes indeed," said Arwen, who had silently approached them. The others jumped in surprise. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you," she said, smiling down at them.

Fred and George didn't answer. Once it got registered in their brains who was standing before them, they found they were having trouble talking, or even functioning properly. They just goggled at her. Luckily for them, no one else noticed.

"Hi Arwen!" said Hermione brightly, "What are you doing?"

"Well, I saw everyone coming, and I figured I'd better let Ada know," replied Arwen.

"Why, where is he?" asked Harry.

"I think he's in the library, talking with Gandalf," said Arwen.

"Have they decided what to do about the Ring yet?" asked Pippin eagerly.

"No," answered Arwen, "That will all be decided at the Council tomorrow."

"It's tomorrow!" cried a startled Hermione.

"Yes," said Arwen, "Everyone should be here by tonight."

"Will there be enough room for them all?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes, you don't need to worry, Ada will take care of all of that," said Arwen, "I'd better go now though. Good-bye!" And she walked gracefully away.

The twins' minds suddenly unfreezed. "Bye Arwen!" they shouted at the same time.

Arwen turned around and laughed. "Good-bye you two!" she called back to them.

"She remembers us Fred," said George dazedly.

"Of course she does, who wouldn't remember someone who turned them into a canary?" asked Hermione.

Fred and George snapped back to reality. "We told you, that was an _accident_!" cried Fred indignantly.

"Oh come on Fred, give up, I know they'll never believe us," said Merry.

"I wonder why," muttered Hermione. Then she walked away, murmuring something about reading some more in her room.

* * *

That night there was a huge feast. One reason was to feed all the hungry guests, and also so that everyone could have a fun evening and basically forget their troubles. Harry was very excited; he hadn't had so much food to eat since Bilbo's party. He was now sitting with Bilbo himself. The old hobbit was eager to relive his adventures since his birthday to anyone who'd listen. That listener turned out to be Harry. 

Bilbo excitedly told him how he had put the Ring on his finger, packed up at Bag End, and left for Rivendell. He had stayed there, finishing his memoirs, which were called _There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale_. Harry promised to read the book later.

Meanwhile, Hermione was chatting amiably with some of the Elves. She had long debated with herself about whether or not to tell them about the position of elves at home, and possibly get them all involved with S.P.E.W. (Elrond and Gandalf had already decided that it was safe for people here to know who these children were and where they really came from.) But she decided tonight was not the time or place to discuss such matters, so she simply enjoyed the company of her friends Arwen and Glorfindel, as well as some of the new elves that had arrived, such as Legolas, the elf they saw ride in before, and Galdor, from the Grey Havens. They were both very interested in the world Hermione lived in, minus the part about the house-elves. Legolas in particular was fascinated to hear about whatever Hermione could tell him about the Forbidden Forest, which sounded so much like his own home in Mirkwood.

Fred and George were the men of the hour as usual. They and Merry and Pippin had provided the rest with butterbeer and some specialties from the Green Dragon, much to Bilbo's delight, since he hadn't been there in a long time. The twins were also never letting the chance slip by when they could flirt with Arwen, though she resisted them quite well.

After the feast, everyone was feeling happy, full, and content. The elves headed for the music hall, where everyone went to dance, sing, or simply listen to the music being played. All except for Aragorn. He slipped out when no one was looking. Or so he thought.

Arwen saw him leave. She had a pretty good idea about what was bothering him, and decided to follow. And wherever _she_ went, a certain twosome was sure to follow.

Arwen strode quickly through the halls and out to Aragorn, right where she knew he'd be. She walked so quickly and purposefully throughout the maze of passages that Fred and George found it hard to keep up. Finally George looked out a window and scanned the immediate area.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, and pointed. "There she is mate!"

Fred followed his finger and saw Arwen. Only she wasn't alone. She was walking towards the river with Aragorn. "What are they doing?" wondered Fred aloud.

"C'mon, if we hurry we can follow them," replied George. They bolted out the nearest door, dashed towards the river, and hid in the bushes. What they saw next, they didn't like.

Arwen and Aragorn were holding hands, talking low in Elvish on the little bridge over the river. Arwen put something in Aragorn's hand. The twins craned their necks to see. It looked like a necklace of some sort. Aragorn looked visibly upset. "You cannot commit this," he was saying.

"It is mine to give to whom I will," said Arwen. Then they both leaned in…and kissed.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Fred and George.

Aragorn and Arwen wheeled around. "What was that?" asked Aragorn.

Arwen thought she already knew. She walked over to the trees, pulled back a few branches, and revealed the twins' hiding place. They looked devastated.

"Sorry guys," she said, "But I'm already taken."

"No," was all George could say.

"I'm sorry," said Arwen. In reality, she was trying hard not to laugh.

The twins slouched away, looking depressed.

"I hope they're not _too _disappointed," said Arwen.

"Oh don't worry," said Aragorn, "If I know Fred and George, they'll recover in no time."

Meanwhile Fred and George were walking slowly up some stairs. "Well, that's that," said Fred gloomily.

"Well we always knew we never really had a shot at her," said George.

"Yeah but still…" sighed Fred.

"Oh well. From now on, I think we should go back to the Gryffindor Chasers. You know, Angelina and the others."

"If we ever manage to get home!"

"Sure we will. Hermione knows how. All we have to do is find Ginny and Percy Jr. and we'll be all set!"

"Percy Jr.?"

"Yeah, you know, Ickle Ronnie the Prefect!"

At this, both boys looked at each other and burst out laughing. Outside, Aragorn heard their laughter and turned to Arwen.

"What did Itell you?" he said, "It's been less than a minute and they're better already!"

Chuckling quietly, they headed back inside. It would be a long, tense day tomorrow with the Council meeting, and Aragorn needed to get whatever rest he could.

A/N: Quick translation for those whodidn't know: "Ada" means "father" in Elvish. IfI have the elves use their nativelanguauge again, the translations will be at the bottom.

Read and review! I can't say it enough! I've got 13 already! YAAAYYY!

**UK All the Way:** Good guess! You got it right the first time, as you already can see, it was indeed Hermione! Thank you for always reviewing; it makes me feel happy!

**MischievousPuck: **Thank you for reviewing; I'm glad you liked it!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Great idea! Ron is already making friends, but I can't say who because you'd know right away where he is! But that's great, because as you must have noticed, Harry is forming a close bond with Aragorn and Frodo, Fred and George with Merry and Pippin, and Hermione with Arwen. So that would be perfect if Ron joined up with Legolas and Gimli. I'll see where the story takes me, and see if it works. As for where Harry will go when the Fellowship splits, now do you really want me to spoil the surprise? ;)Wait and see!

One more thing to add:I've got a problem guys. Remember the old dilemma with the movie lines? Well, it is going to be a full-fledged nightmare with the Council of Elrond. So if and when they crop up, please bear with me and know that it won't last. Don't worry: the Hogwarts crew will not sit there the whole time in silence!


	7. The Council of Elrond

Disclaimer: This is really starting to get boring. We all know what I don't own, because it all belongs to the brilliant J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien, except for my own fanfiction ideas.

Chapter 7: The Council of Elrond

Early the next morning, Harry got out of his bed and got dressed, feeling a little apprehensive. Today was the day that they would all discuss the fate of the Ring. Not only that, but Harry had the feeling that he and his friends would have to explain to everybody exactly who they were and how they got there. He was not looking forward to it.

He went down to breakfast, where he found Frodo and Sam. "Good morning," he called out.

"Good morning Mr. Harry," said Sam, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, but please Sam, how many times do I have to tell you, just call me Harry!"

"Sorry Harry, it just slipped out!"

"That's all right Sam."

Meanwhile Fred and George were eating at the far corner of the table when Merry and Pippin burst in, looking furious.

"You're not going to believe this!" cried Merry indignantly, "We didn't get invited to the Council!"

"Can't see why you'd care," said Fred casually, "It's probably going to be boring, sitting there for hours, listening to some wise old people talk about what to do when the world is doomed."

"But they're going to choose the Ringbearer!" cried Pippin.

"Yeah so?" said George, "What, do you want to bear the Ring or something?"

"No," said Pippin earnestly, "But we still want to know what's going on. We want to help in any way we can!"

"But everyone underestimates the hobbits of course," said Merry, "Except for Frodo, because he brought the Ring here in the first place. But we helped!"

"Well, if you want to listen in on an important meaning, I believe we have just the thing for you," said Fred.

"What?" asked Pippin.

"Extendable Ears!" said George, beaming as he pulled some out of his pockets, "Some of our finest merchandise. We never go anywhere without a few."

"What to they do?" asked Merry.

"Just insert them into your ears, tug them in the direction of whatever you want to listen in on, and you'll be eavesdropping in no time!" said Fred.

"Amazing!" cried Pippin.

"All right, here you go," said George, placing the Extendable Ears into their eager outstretched hands. "Be careful with them!"

"We will!" they cried and dashed off.

* * *

After breakfast, a bell rang out, signaling the beginning of the Council meeting. Harry got up and headed in the same direction as everyone else. 

The Council of Elrond was taking place in one of the stone courtyards. There were wooden chairs placed in a semi-circle around the area. At the head was a larger chair, where Elrond sat. In the center was a small stone table.

Harry sat next to Gandalf, who was right next to Frodo. Hermione sat on his other side, along with Fred and George. There they waited for the rest to arrive. No one noticed the suspicious looking flesh colored strings nearby.

Finally, Elrond took his seat and the meeting began. "Strangers from distant lands, friends from every part of Middle Earth. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. You are all bound to this fate, this one doom, none can escape it. You will either unite or you will fall."

Hermione nodded in understanding. This sounded a lot like Dumbledore's speech last year when Voldemort came back. She agreed wholeheartedly. The only solution to the threat of an evil powerful Dark Lord was to stand together, in her opinion.

Elrond was now asking Frodo to put the Ring on the table. As soon as the little hobbit pulled it out, a tense silence seemed to fill the air. Once again, Harry felt a crazy urge to grab it. This time he knew better. He knew he had to master the impulse; it would do him more harm then good.

By now Frodo had put the Ring down and was retreating to his seat. A man got up, muttering something about a dream he'd had concerning the Ring. Gandalf looked on worriedly. The man was getting closer and closer to the center; his hand reaching out…

And all the while Harry was feeling the pull of the Ring grow stronger. He saw what the man was doing, knew he was about to take it, and surprisingly, Harry found a wave of anger coursing through him. _I deserve that ring more than he does!_ he thought furiously, _It's mine!_ Before he could stop himself, he leapt up to knock the man's hand away.

His actions were fortunately hidden, because at that moment, Gandalf and Elrond jumped from their seats, yelling, "Boromir!" Then Gandalf started speaking in a harsh language that neither Harry, Hermione, nor the twins had ever heard before. It filled Harry with terror and was enough to make him and Boromir sit down. The Elves were shuddering. Plainly this language affected them deeply.

Elrond looked deeply upset. "Never before has anyone uttered that tongue here!" he said.

"I do not ask for pardon, Master Elrond," said Gandalf, eyeing them all pointedly, "For the Black Speech may yet be heard in every corner of the West!"

"Blimey, mate, you could've just told us that, you didn't need to go actually _using_ that language! We hear you loud and clear!" cried Fred, looking shaken. George nodded earnestly.

Gandalf glanced at them. "I think it is time you four explain what you are doing here. Do you agree, Master Elrond?"

"I most certainly do," replied Elrond, "Friends, this is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Fred and George Weasley. They are not from this world." There was a lot of muttering at this. "I beg you to let them explain exactly who they are and where they come from."

Feeling all the eyes on him, Harry stood up and began to speak, trying hard not to stare at the Ring on the table. He told them all about them being wizards, and how they learned magic at Hogwarts, and about some of their teachers, such as Dumbledore, and their friends, such as Ron and Ginny. He explained to them who Voldemort was, and why the evil wizard was after him in the first place, and everything that had happened to him, from the time he saved the Sorcerer's Stone to that dreadful night last June when he witnessed Voldemort's rebirth. He talked for so long, his legs nearly grew numb from standing there. Finally he got to the Time Portal and let Hermione take it from there.

Hermione got up, blushing, and explained how the Time Portal worked and how they tried to use it, though she left out the part about her idea for them to help join the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She knew they had enough to worry about. She told them how it malfunctioned, and how Ron and Ginny were still lost, but that the four of them were willing to help, despite the possible consequences.

At last, they were finished. There was an utter silence. Finally Elrond spoke. "Thank you," he said, "We need all the help we can get in the coming battle against Sauron's forces."

Then Boromir stood up. He wanted to know why they simply couldn't use the Ring against Sauron. It seemed like a powerful weapon, the perfect thing to use against the Enemy.

Aragorn replied that no one but Sauron could wield the Ring, because it didn't serve any other Master. Boromir was annoyed that a mere ranger would criticize his idea and started to say so, but was interrupted by an angry Legolas, who let Boromir, not to mention the rest of the Council, know that his friend wasn't just a ranger, but an heir to the throne of the kingdom of Gondor.

Harry gaped at Aragorn in surprise. "You're a _king_?" he asked in shock.

Aragorn looked mortified. "Yes," he said.

"Why didn't you tell me back at Weathertop?"

"Well, I thought about it, but you know, it's not exactly something I'm proud of," he answered, glaring at Legolas. He knew the elf meant well, but Aragorn had specifically told him not to tell anyone. As far as he was concerned, no one needed to know his heritage until it was absolutely necessary.

By now Boromir and Legolas had sat down again. Gandalf decided to change the subject and get back to dealing with the Ring. Elrond told them they had only one choice: someone had to take the ring into the evil land of Mordor and throw the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. That was the only way you could destroy it.

Nobody seemed too eager to volunteer. Harry couldn't blame them. He would've offered to do it himself, but he had enough to worry about in his own world. It was generous enough of him to help them in the first place. Besides, he didn't like the feeling he got around the Ring. He didn't know how long he would be able to resist it.

Hermione was also deep in thought. Half of her wished she'd never invented the Time Portal, the other half was glad she did. She wanted to help more than anything, but didn't trust her own abilities. Everyone at Hogwarts went on about how she was the cleverest witch of her age, but what how much use would her magic be against the will of Sauron?

Fred and George were eager for an adventure, but not one like this. This was the first time they felt like they had no control over the situation. It was one thing to be handling detention, but handling an evil ring was something new to them, and they weren't sure what to do.

Boromir was, once again, the first to voice his opinion. Under no circumstances did he want to ever enter Mordor. He'd heard all about it when he was growing up; he saw it everyday, as it was the neighboring land near his home in the city of Minas Tirith. He knew that it was a barren wasteland with evil around every corner, and that no one could escape from there alive. To him, taking the Ring there was about the stupidest thing he ever heard of, and he let everyone else know it too.

Both Legolas and Harry were totally fed up with Boromir by now. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond just said?" asked Legolas, "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"Yeah I don't exactly see you coming up with a better idea!" said Harry.

"I did!" Boromir retorted, "I think we should use the Ring!"

"We _can't_," Harry yelled back, "Weren't you listening?"

Meanwhile, one of the dwarves, Gimli, had chosen this as the perfect opportunity to pick a fight with Legolas. He hated elves, and wasn't hiding that fact at all. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" he was yelling.

The elves were all about to jump up at that little comment, but Hermione beat them to it. Her "S.P.E.W. instincts" had taken over. Harry actually turned around from his heated argument with Boromir to watch what came next. It wasn't pretty.

"How…dare…you…" snarled Hermione, "How…_dare_…you! You heard Lord Elrond, we're supposed to unite, and how may I ask, are we supposed to do that if you can't put your bigotry aside! You are absolutely _disgusting_..."

"Uh, Hermione?" asked Harry weakly, trying to pull her back down, but she simply shook him off.

"Get _off_ me Harry! I'm not finished! If there's one thing I hate, it's injustice shown towards other creatures!" And to Harry's horror, she whipped out her wand.

Gimli eyed it warily, but held his ground. "I will _not_ befriend an Elf!" he snarled, "You can't trust them!"

"WELL YOU'D BETTER START TRUSTING THEM!" yelled Hermione, "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT, AFTER ALL ELROND'S TRIED TO DO…"

"Merlin, she's out of control!" yelled Fred. He and George grabbed her by the arms and forced her back into her seat. Hermione struggled to get up.

"Hermione, relax!" panted George as he struggled to hold her down.

"NO!" cried Hermione. Harry ran to help the twins.

"Hermione," he said, "Calm down! Now is not the time or place to get angry! Everyone's staring at us; you're making us look bad!"

Finally Hermione calmed down enough to look over at Gimli. "I'm sorry," she said, "You just reminded me of the attitude towards elves that I've been fighting against in my world. The elves there are…"

"OK!" yelled George, drowning out what Hermione was about to say about house-elves, "Where were we again? Weren't we about to choose who the Ringbearer is?"

"It'll have to be a volunteer," said Gandalf, "Someone needs to go willingly. It would make him or her all the more stronger against the Ring if they are willing to fight it."

Once again, there was silence, as everyone pondered over who this person might be. Then Frodo stood up. "I will take it," he announced, looking a little surprised at his own daring. "Though, I do not know the way."

Gandalf smiled at him, and offered to go with him, and aid him on his Quest, then Aragorn volunteered to go, and Legolas, and Gimli, and then Boromir. And then…

"I'll come too Frodo," said Harry, "That is, if you need me."

"Of course I do!" said Frodo, sounding delighted.

"And I'm going too!" said Hermione.

Fred and George looked at each other. "What'd you reckon?" asked Fred, "Should we go?"

"I think that would be a good idea," said George cheerfully, and they got up to stand with the others.

"Hey!" yelled Sam. He'd been hiding in the bushes nearby the whole meeting. "Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!" he announced.

"No indeed, it seems impossible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you aren't," said Elrond, looking highly amused.

At this statement, Merry and Pippin came running out of their hiding place, the Extendable Ears trailing behind them, yelling that they were coming too. Elrond looked shocked. "So much for the "secret" council," muttered Harry to Hermione, who laughed.

"So be it," Elrond said, "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Yes!" cried Pippin, "So, where are we going?"

"To Mordor, you idiot," said Fred, "If you're going to take our Extendable Ears, use them once in a while will you?"

The others laughed, especially Merry. Even Hermione was trying hard to conceal her grin.

After that, the Council ended, and the Fellowship was dismissed to go and pack for their long, treacherous journey. Harry felt slightly anxious. It was time for another frightening adventure. _Here we go again_, he thought.

A/N: I tried not to put in too many movie lines. I really did. I hope you're satisfied. Review!

**UK All the Way:** You are the best! I can't thank you enough for always reviewing. Congrats on getting Hermione right:)

**infallallthingsaremadesplendid:** Ooo, this is hard! I want to tell you whether you're right or not, but I can't! It'd spoil everything! I loved your story! You should update it!


	8. Departure From Rivendell

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. There, I said it. Now I won't get sued.

Chapter 8: Departure from Rivendell

Early the next morning, the Fellowship was getting ready to leave. It looked like all of Rivendell was turning out to bid them farewell. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, Hermione slipped away. She wanted to say a special good-bye to Arwen. She had been a good friend and one of the few things that kept a thoroughly anxious Hermione from going insane during the past few months.

As she wandered through the paths of Rivendell, Hermione heard someone crying. She crept in the direction of the sobbing, rounded a corner, and was startled to see it was Arwen.

"Arwen," she gasped, "What's the matter?"

Arwen looked up. "Oh Hermione," she cried, "It's Aragorn."

Hermione knew all about Arwen's relationship with Aragorn, so she figured she knew what was wrong. "Don't worry Arwen," she said, putting a comforting arm around her friend, "Aragorn will be fine. He'll survive this war, don't worry."

"I know," replied Arwen tearfully, "That's not what I'm upset about."

"What is it then?" asked Hermione curiously.

"H-he took me aside a few minutes ago. He t-told me that I should go to V-Valinor; that our relationship was just a dream."

Hermione was furious, not to mention shocked. "He didn't!" she cried.

"He did."

"I don't believe this," hissed Hermione in outrage, "I thought he loved you!"

"I think he does," said Arwen, trying to stop crying, "But he probably thinks it's better if I go and not make any sacrifices for him."

"That's utter nonsense! You just told him you'd give up your immortality the other night! You gave him your necklace!"

"And he tried to give it back, but I wouldn't let him," said Arwen, "Well, at least Ada will be happy. He's been trying to persuade me to sail away for ages now."

"That doesn't matter!" cried Hermione, "You can't give in to them Arwen! You should be able to make decisions for yourself! Like when you wanted to go find Frodo and the others. You have to stand your ground and stick with your choice!"

Arwen wiped some tears away. "Thanks Hermione," she said, "You're right, I know. I'm going to really miss you!"

"I'll miss you too," said Hermione, hugging her friend tightly, "Goodbye Arwen!"

"Goodbye Hermione!"

The two girls hugged for a final time, and then parted.

* * *

Meanwhile the rest of the Fellowship was just about ready to leave. Elrond was with them to give them his final blessing before they departed.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Harry, looking around.

"Here I am!" called Hermione as she ran up to them, "Sorry I'm late!"

"What took you so long?" asked Merry.

"Just saying a few goodbyes," she replied hastily.

Elrond looked out at them all. He gave them his final blessing, and they departed. Aragorn was the last to leave. He took one last look at Rivendell. It had always been his beloved home, and he wondered if he would ever see it again. His eyes eventually rested on Arwen. She was standing near her father, looking on the verge of tears. He felt terrible about what he'd said and done, but there was nothing else he could do about it. So he turned and followed the rest of the Fellowship. On the way out, he was startled to see Hermione giving him a death glare before running to catch up with Harry. He wondered why, but put it out of his head for the time being. He had to keep his mind focused on the dangerous quest that lay ahead.

The first few weeks were rather dull. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and Harry was beginning to hope that the Ringwraiths were gone for good. He never wanted to run into one of them again.

Eventually the Fellowship arrived at a place called a Hollin, where they decided to make camp. Sam was in charge of the thing he knew best besides gardening: food. Legolas was keeping watch. The others were mostly relaxed, as Gandalf sat puffing his pipe and Merry and Pippin asked Boromir and Aragorn if they would teach them how to swordfight.

"Of course," said Boromir.

"Hey, what about us?" asked Fred.

"Yeah, we're not exactly the best with swords," said George.

"Haven't you ever used one before?" asked Merry.

"I don't think we've ever _touched_ one before," replied Fred.

"I have," said Harry, "I used one to kill a giant snake once. It was the sword of Godric Gryffindor."

Pippin stared at him in awe. "_A giant snake!_"

Harry nodded.

"Wow…" said Merry, "How did you do that?"

"It's a long story," said Harry, "Why don't you practice with Boromir right now, and I'll tell you afterwards."

They agreed, and Harry sat with Aragorn on a boulder to watch. Boromir didn't mind showing Fred and George as well, and they picked it up almost instantly.

Meanwhile Hermione was sitting on a rock nearby, reading a book she had brought with her about the different people and places in Middle-Earth. She was hoping that by learning more about where they were, she could help the rest of the Company decide where to go. At the moment she could hear Gimli arguing with Gandalf. The dwarf wanted to go through the Mines of Moria, but Gandalf didn't like the idea. So Hermione flipped through the book to read more. Eventually she found what she was looking for.

The Mines of Moria

_The Mines of Moria, also known as Khazad-dum to the Dwarves, was the first Dwarven kingdom in Middle-Earth. It is most known for its vast supply of _mithril_, a rare, pure, and beautiful silver found only in Moria. The kingdom was first founded in the Elder Days, but was all but destroyed in 1981 of the Third Age when the Dwarves awoke a dark terror deep within the Mines, known to them as Durin's Bane. Among the Elves it is known as a Balrog, a corrupt Maiar spirit and a great flaming demon that…_

Hermione shut the book in mid-sentence, something she didn't do very often. She didn't need to read anymore to know that she NEVER wanted to go into the Mines. Gimli may've wanted to visit his ancestral home, but Hermione was not keen on walking into a Balrog's lair, which not to mention was probably swarming with orcs…Hermione shuddered. She was glad Gandalf had said no.

Hermione wandered over to where Harry and Aragorn were watching the sword-fighting lesson with great amusement. Boromir accidentally hit Pippin, who yelped in pain. The result was the four friends leaping on Boromir with war-cries, tackling him to the ground. Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry. "Honestly," she muttered, pointing at the twins, "They're legally adults, but they still think and act like littlekids!"

Harry laughed. Aragorn headed toward the little fight that had broken out. "Gentlemen, that's enough," he said. They all turned to face him and in seconds the ranger was sprawled on the ground near Boromir.

Suddenly everything seemed to grow quiet. Harry turned to look at the others and saw Legolas staring intently in the distance. He followed the elf's gaze and finally saw a black smudge getting closer and closer. It was hard to tell what it was, because Harry's eye sight wasn't as good.

Sam saw it too. "What is that?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud," said Gimli.

Harry seriously doubted this; he had never seen as cloud move that fast before, in their direction, no less. Legolas was the first to realize what it was. "Crebain from Dunland!" he shouted.

"Hide!" yelled Aragorn.

"The _what _from _where_?" asked Harry.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later, just do what Aragorn says!" cried Hermione.

Everyone raced behind the rocks and undergrowth. Harry had barely ducked down near Aragorn when a huge swarm of birds came flying over the camp, shrieking like demons. Harry half expected them to attack, but they didn't. They just flew over the camp, circled, and then flew off in the same direction that they had come. As soon as they were out of sight, the Fellowship poked their heads out again.

"Uh, why were we hiding from a bunch of birds?" asked Fred.

"Those weren't ordinary birds," said Hermione, "They were _crebain_."

"We know that Hermione," said Harry, "So what are _crebain_?"

"They're big black crows that live near the Gap of Rohan, which is where we're headed," she said, "But I don't think they live around here, do they Gandalf?"

"No," replied Gandalf, "They're spies of Saruman."

"Who?" asked George.

"Saruman, the White Wizard," said Gandalf, "I went to see him back in the spring, when you first started out on your journey to Rivendell. I thought he was a friend. But he turned to Sauron and betrayed us, and he had me imprisoned for a while in his tower at Isengard. That's why I wasn't able to meet you at Bree, remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Harry, "I wondered about that, but I forgot to ask you what happened."

"Well, that's what happened. But now the real problem that remains is that we need to change our direction. The passage south is being watched."

_Not Moria_, thought Hermione, _Please don't let it be Moria_.

"We must take the pass at Caradhas."

Hermione inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. That relief was short-lived however. The new route involved going over the Misty Mountains, which was covered in snow. Hermione used a special little charm she'd learned to melt the snow and create a path for them, but it was still freezing cold. At one point Frodo slipped and started to roll down the path. Aragorn and Harry raced after him, but then Harry slowed as he passed a particular patch of snow. He felt there was something there that he wanted very badly, but that was absurd. What on earth could he want in the mountains?

The answer came when he ran to Frodo, who was frantically searching his neck for something that wasn't there. The Ring was gone! It was lying in the snow that Harry had just passed. He went to pick it up, but Boromir beat him to it. The man picked it up to his face, reaching out as if to stroke it.

"Give it here Boromir," said Harry quietly.

Boromir looked at him. "Why should I?" he asked.

"It's not yours; it doesn't belong to you," said Harry.

"Are you saying it's _yours_?" asked Boromir, backing away and looking at Harry with an almost angry expression.

"I think I deserve it more than you…"

"Boromir! Harry!" called Aragorn sharply. Both seemed to break out of their trance as their heads snapped towards Aragorn. "Give the Ring to Frodo," he said sternly.

Boromir smiled and returned it to the hobbit. Everyone was staring at them. Harry turned red. He had no idea what made him do that.

Aragorn stared at the two of them as they walked up to the rest of the group. He was very worried, but didn't show it. He liked Harry a lot, they had a lot in common, more than Harry even realized. But it was clear to Aragorn that the boy was having trouble when he came in contact with the Ring. He felt bad for his friend, and wanted to help in any way he could. But he did not express this with anyone for now, especially since Harry looked upset and slightly embarrassed by the whole situation.

As bad as things seemed at the time, they were just about to get worse.

While the Fellowship was making their way through a narrow passage in the mountains, a huge blizzard hit them. Hermione tried all she could to cast a heating spell, but it was little comfort against the howling wind and blinding snow in everyone's faces.

Gandalf lead the way, cutting through the snow with his staff. Hermione was behind him with her heating charm, helping him as best she could. Next came Legolas, who was listening intently through the wind. Fred and George were sheltering Merry and Pippin, Boromir followed them, Harry helped Sam lead his pony Bill along the edge of the mountain, and then came Aragorn helping Frodo.

Harry could see Legolas walk past Gandalf and Hermione, listening intently and peering through the snow. He wondered how anyone could see or hear anything through this storm, but had learned to trust an elf's skill above anyone else's. Sure enough, he could hear Legolas mention something about a voice to Gandalf, who yelled to the others, "It's Saruman!"

A thunderbolt struck the cliff above them, and snow cascaded around their heads. This was getting too dangerous. Aragorn suggested they turn back, which Harry thought was an excellent idea, if not a disheartening one, but Gandalf refused.

"Is he mad!" yelled Fred to George, "We're going to freeze to death out here!"

"You're telling me," said Merry. His teeth were chattering as he shivered in the cold, and both his and Pippin's faces were blue.

That's when an avalanche of snow came down. It covered the entire Fellowship, burying them completely. For a few seconds, everything was still. Then Legolas managed to break through the snow, then Harry, pulling Hermione up with him, then Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, Boromir with Sam, Gimli, and then Aragorn, Gandalf, and Frodo.

There seemed to be only one choice left: get off the mountain.

Boromir wanted to go through the Gap of Rohan, but then they'd have to worry about Saruman catching them. Gimli wanted to go through the Mines of Moria, and couldn't understand why Hermione was adamantly refusing. "Why don't we just take a vote?" she suggested.

Boromir, Hermione, Legolas, Merry, and Pippin voted to go through the Gap of Rohan. Gimli, Harry, Fred, George, and Frodo voted for the Mines. Sam just wanted to get off the mountain. Gandalf didn't want to go into the Mines, but he realized it was the only real choice they had. So that's where they headed.

It was a relief to be out of the snow, but Harry noticed something was bothering Hermione. She was frowning and biting her lip, a sure sign that she was agitated. "Hermione?" he asked, "What's the matter?"

Hermione hesitated. She half wanted to tell him what she'd read, but she didn't want to worry him anymore than he had to be.

"Hermione? Is it because we're going into Moria? Why don't you want to enter it? Are you afraid of something?"

"It's nothing Harry," she replied, sighing heavily.

"Are you sure?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me Harry, please; you have enough on your mind already!"

"All right," said Harry in resignation.

By nightfall Gandalf had led the rest of the Company to a little inlet where the Doors of Moria were supposed to be. The cavern was situated by a huge, deep, underground lake. Once, Harry slipped and fell into the slimy water. He quickly picked himself up, but stared anxiously at the bubbles that appeared ominously in the center of the lake, then everything was still.

Gandalf was busy tapping the wall with his staff, running his hand along it, and muttering different incantations in Elvish under his breath. Suddenly he stepped back, and an astonishing sight met Harry's eyes.

Silver moon light filled different cracks in the wall, until they made the shape of a huge silver door with Elvish writing written all over it.

"It says: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter," read Gandalf.

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry.

"Well, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the Doors will open," replied Gandalf.

This made perfect sense to the Hogwarts students, since they needed a password to get into places at school all the time. But Hermione felt like something was tugging in the back of her mind; something she'd forgotten. She shook it off and let Gandalf carry on with what he was doing.

"_Annon edhellen, edro hi amen! Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!_" announced Gandalf slowly and clearly.

There was a pause. And then… 

"Nothing's happening," remarked Pippin.

"Oh thank you so much Pippin," said George very sarcastically.

"Yeah if we ever need an update like that, let us know," said Fred. Pippin blushed slightly and stared at the ground.

Harry grinned. "Relax, Pip, they're only joking around!"

Gandalf glared at the boys. Apparently he was not thrilled about the fact that this one of the rare moments when he was stumped. Everyone ended up sitting along the narrow shore, waiting as patiently as possible as Gandalf sat concentrating hard and puffing his pipe. Hermione was sitting on a rock next to him, staring up at the words and muttering under her breath. She herself knew Elvish fairly well; Arwen and Elrond had taught herboth forms: Sindarin and Quenya. Like the brilliant student she was, Hermione took to it immediately and was soon speaking as fluently as any elf in Rivendell, though she never showed it. Now she was using her new skills to try to think of the password.

Merry and Pippin finally got so bored that they started throwing rocks in the water, trying to see how far they could throw them. Fred and George were waving their wands and Summoning the rocks back so they could be reused. Under normal circumstances Aragorn would've told them off for doing something so careless when they had no idea what could be in the water, but he had his back turned to them at the moment as he tried to comfort Sam, who was forced to let his beloved Bill return to Rivendell. It would be impossible to lead a pony through the Mines, and deep down Sam understood, but it was hard to say goodbye to a creature he had become emotionally attached to.

Harry wasn't paying attention to any of this. He was thinking hard, as usual. It bothered him that he seemed so attracted to the Ring. Why was that? He was usually good at this area, resisting the lure of the power of evil and so forth. So why did he feel weak now? Was it because of his past? Could it be that when Voldemort transferred some of his powers to Harry fourteen years ago, he transferred some of his greed and power lust as well? Harry shuddered at the thought.

By now, Aragorn had turned around, and sure enough, he made a beeline for the twins and the two younger hobbits, scolding them for disturbing the water. It soon became clear why. The bubbles were remerging, and it looked like something was creating ripples that moved closer and closer to shore.

Luckily Hermione stood up at that moment, with a broad smile on her face. "_Mellon_!" she cried, and the doors creaked open. Gandalf began to laugh at the sight. Hermione smiled triumphantly at the others.

"I don't get it," said Merry, "How did you know the password?"

"I didn't," said Hermione beaming, "I figured it out on my own. It was a riddle, you see, 'Speak friend and enter.' The Elvish word for friend is 'mellon'. And that's the password!"

"I couldn't have done it better myself," said Gandalf, smiling kindly at her, "You are a very clever witch. Now let us go on!"

They stepped in cautiously. Gandalf lit his staff, and the Hogwarts students lit their wands with the _Lumos_ spell. Harry was almost at the foot of the stairs when he heard an awful crunch beneath his feet. He looked down. What he saw made him feel sick.

It was the skeleton of a dwarf. Horrified, Harry spun around. There were skeletons all over the place, pierced with arrows and swords. Hermione shrieked in fear.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," said Boromir, as they all backed away, "We should never have come here." A few seconds later, however, that was no longer an option.

Harry started to walk towards the door when he saw something long and slimy, like a tentacle, come out of the water. "LOOK OUT!" he yelled, but it had already wrapped itself around Frodo's legs and started pulling him towards the lake. He screamed and tried to grab on to something.

"Harry, help!" yelled Sam as he, Merry, and Pippin grabbed onto Frodo and started slashing at the tentacle. It let go, but then a whole bunch of tentacles shot out and attacked the hobbits. One of them seized Frodo again and pulled him into the lake.

Without thinking twice, Harry dashed into the cold water after Frodo, shouting whatever spells came to his head. "_STUPEFY! EXPELLAIRMUS! IMPEDIMENTA!_" he screamed, but it wasn't helping too much; the irritated creature stuck its head out of the water, revealing a hideous looking octopus-like monster. It reached out with another one of its tentacles and grabbed Harry around the waist, lifting him in the air with Frodo.

By now Aragorn and Boromir had gotten in the lake and were hewing at the beast's tentacles with their swords. Legolas was by the entrance to the Mines firing arrows in their direction, and Hermione, Fred, and George had started trying to combine the magic from their spells to make them more powerful. It seemed to work, because the creature began to give in. When Aragorn managed to slash at the tentacles holding Frodo and Harry it dropped them harmlessly into the water. But the monster wasn't finished. It chased the Fellowship as they all fled into Moria, and then it tore at the Doors until they crashed and fell, caving in the entrance way and blocking any way for escape. They were trapped in the Mines.

"We now have one choice," said Gandalf, "We must face the long dark of Moria."

Hermione gulped. She had a feeling their experience here would not be an enjoyable one. She was right.

A/N: Sorry I took longer than usual to update, but I haven't had time to write between school, a dance, and a really bad cold. To my excellent and wonderful reviewers:

**UK All the Way:** bows back Glad to know you appreciate my work. I'm trying as hard as I can. Ginny and Frodo is a good idea, I forgot about them, I'll definitely consider it. But I've had it planned from the beginning where they'll all be, so if I can use it I will, if I can't, I'm sorry.

**I love theLORD: **Thank you for your review; I really appreciate it.

**canidus-lupin full Moon: **Thanks, I meant to respond to your review last chapter, but for some reason it didn't come up. Sorry!

**Vanilla Faerie: **Thank you so much, you're the first person to appreciate the movie and book lines! I try to put enough in so that it's still LotR, but a different story.

**Kaledelia Undomiel: **Ooo, Istill haveto watch that documentary; I love the song "Into the West", except that it makes me want to cry. (My personal favorite in the movies though is the song in the Houses of Healing!) I love the Exploding Pillows too, orginally I was just going to have it like in the book, but then I thought, nah, Fred and George can come up with something better than that! I'm glad you like my story; I liked yours!


	9. In the Mines of Moria

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. I think we've got that figured out by now.

A/N: I decided to change the rating to PG-13 for the battle sequences. I don't know if it's that bad in this chapter, but I can't guarantee what'll happen in later chapters…

Chapter 9: In the Mines of Moria

For three days the Fellowship walked through Moria. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, but Harry was far from relaxed. It was very quiet and unnaturally still, giving the place a feeling of unease. Then there was the fact that the Mines were enormous; it was lucky that they had Gandalf for a guide, as one could get lost in there almost immediately.

Along the way, Gandalf pointed out things to the Fellowship like _mithril_, the purest, most beautiful silver found in Middle-Earth, and that could only be found in Moria. Harry was fascinated by it. At one point Gandalf halted and shone his staff so they could all take in the vast beauty of the mines.

On the fourth day of their journey Gandalf lead them up a set of narrow stairs and then came to a landing with three passageways branching off in different directions. He paused, and for the first time since they had reached the Doors of Durin, he looked unsure of himself. "I have no memory of this place," he declared slowly.

The result was that the Fellowship waited for hours while the old wizard sat and tried to think of which way they should go. They talked quietly amongst each other, so they wouldn't disturb Gandalf.

"I'm hungry," muttered Pippin.

"You're always hungry," said George.

"I know, but this time I'm REALLY hungry! Did we ever have breakfast?"

"Yeah, must've been two hours ago," said Merry.

"It doesn't feel like two hours! Does anyone have anything to eat?"

"Sure," said Fred, with an evil grin, "I've got some toffees in my pocket here…"

"Don't even think about it Fred!" said Hermione sharply.

"What? I wasn't going to give him any Ton-Tongue Toffee, I swear…"

"What's Ton-Tongue Toffee?" asked Pippin.

"It's trick candy that can make your tongue grow at least four feet long!" said George.

"Excellent!" said Merry, "Can I have some?"

"No!" said Hermione, "You can't be fooling around right now; it's too dangerous!"

"Lighten up Hermione," muttered Fred. She glared at him but didn't reply.

Harry wasn't paying attention to any of this. He wandered over to wear Gandalf was sitting. He wanted to ask him something very badly, but didn't want to interrupt his thought. Gandalf, however, sensed him sit down nearby and turned around. "What did you want to ask me Harry?"

Harry was taken slightly aback. "Uh, well…I was just wondering, er…" he wondered how to put his thoughts into words. Then it all came spilling out. "Gandalf, why am I so attracted to the Ring? Part of me knows it's evil, and I don't want anything to do with it, but when I see it, I don't know, I just sort of lose control."

"You need to learn to control your desires and fears, Harry," replied Gandalf slowly, "I have only known you for a little while, but from what I've learned about you, whether through others or by your actions, I believe that you have trouble controlling your own emotions. Things like that can make one easier prey for the Ring."

"How?" asked Harry desperately, "How do I control my emotions? I don't want to be weak; I don't want the Ring to control me…"

"It is not something that can be taught," said Gandalf calmly, "You must learn it by yourself, with your own strengths. You will always have friends and people who want to help you, but only you can learn to trust in your own abilities."

Harry looked at him thoughtfully. It almost seemed like Gandalf's advice contained some sort of second message in it, but he couldn't think of what it could be, and didn't bother to ask. So instead he simply said, "Thanks Gandalf," and walked back over to the others. He had no sooner stood up when Frodo wandered over to take his place. Harry decided to let them talk together alone.

After a few minutes, Gandalf suddenly looked up and announced that the left path was the right way, and the Fellowship continued their journey. They had been walking for less than five minutes when they reached the end of the passageway and came out into a gigantic hallway. It was the Halls of Durin, and it was massive: filled with towering stone columns, which when compared to Harry felt like a tiny ant. They could have put five Great Halls in there with room to spare. It was all awesome to look at, but they had to keep moving.

As they rounded a corner, they saw light coming from a chamber off to the side. Lying all over the entrance of the chamber were the skeletons of dwarves. Gimli cried out in horror and dashed away from the rest of the group. "Oh no," said Hermione sadly.

The others followed him into the room. Inside they found Gimli kneeling beside a tomb crying. Hermione ran over and put a comforting arm around him. Harry quickly glanced around and saw a book in one of the dwarves' hands. He carefully picked it up and opened it, but it was written in a different language, so he handed it to Gandalf.

Fred and George wandered around, looking slightly uncomfortable. They weren't good at being tactful and sympathetic during moments like this. Fred looked around for Merry and Pippin, hoping they would know what to do. Pippin was stretching his hand out to touch the nearest skeleton, which was sitting on top of the edge of a well. "You better leave that Pip, I dunno if you should touch that," he said slowly, heading towards the young hobbit. Pippin wasn't listening. For some reason, he was curious about this particular skeleton. He reached out his hand, touched it, and…

The head rolled off and fell into the well, making a loud banging noise as it went down. Before Pippin realized what was happening, the entire skeleton started to fall in. Luckily Fred managed to grab it and pull it back up again before it made any more noise that would give them away.

Gandalf, who'd been reading about how the dwarves made their last stand against the orcs in Moria, snapped the book shut and glared at Pippin. "Fool of a Took," he snarled, "If you hadn't caught that Mr. Weasley, we'd probably find this place swarming with orcs in no time!"

The words no sooner left his mouth when they heard a sound: the steady beating of drums. They were terrifying to hear; they seemed to say "_Doom, doom_!" with each beat. Then came something far less unwelcome: harsh shrieks and cries along with shadows coming closer and closer.

"What is it?" asked Harry, though he thought he knew (and dreaded) the answer.

"Orcs!" replied Legolas.

"Oh no," moaned Hermione.

"Well, so much for that," muttered Fred, staring at the dead skeleton in his arms. Before anyone could stop him, he tossed the rest of the skeleton into the well.

"Fred NO!" everyone shouted.

"What did you do _that_ for?" cried Hermione exasperatedly.

"Well, the orcs were already coming so I figured there was no point in holding that thing any longer," shrugged Fred.

"That was one of my kin…" Gimli started to say indignantly, but Harry cut him off.

"Never mind that, we've got a bigger problem to deal with!" he exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the orc cries. They were getting louder and louder.

"Harry's right," said Aragorn, and he leapt for the door. Together, he and Boromir began to bar it shut, but not before a couple of arrows flew dangerously close to Boromir's head. He stuck it outside to look, drew it back in, and announced, "They have a cave troll!"

"A t-troll?" stuttered Hermione in horror.

"Have you ever seen a troll before?" asked Merry.

"We fought one once in first year," replied Harry, "That was when we were eleven."

"Oh good," said Pippin, "So you can take care of this one right?"

"I…guess so," said Harry doubtfully.

"Brace yourselves everyone, they're about to break through the door!" yelled George.

Legolas and Aragorn stood at the front with their bows aimed. One orc broke through and got an arrow in his head. Another one tried getting through with the same result, and another, and another, until the whole door crashed down and an entire army crashed through and stormed in on the Fellowship. The battle had begun.

Harry had only used a sword once, Fred and George had only practiced with them, and Hermione had never seen a real one in her life. But they did fine with the help of their wands. Hermione would sometimes simply stun different orcs before ramming her sword into them. Harry tried dueling for a little while with the sword Elrond had given him before they left Rivendell, but did a fair amount of spell work too. Fred and George went back and forth, sometimes hexing the monsters, and sometimes swinging their swords. They were really quite talented in this area, weaving in and out, using their Quidditch reflexes to dodge offensive attacks, as if they were simply dodging Bludgers.

After only a few minutes of fighting, the troll burst in. It roared and flung a giant chain at everything in sight, friend or foe. It didn't know the difference. Its impulse was to kill anything in sight, and it was doing a pretty good job. Legolas took one look at it and shot an arrow in its shoulder. Unfortunately all it did was annoy the beast and injure it slightly. It roared again and charged.

Harry was getting very anxious about this sudden turn of events. If the troll had had a club, he at least would've had some sort of plan in mind based on his previous experience. But he didn't thing the whiplike chain would work the same way. "Any ideas?" he asked Hermione.

"Don't ask me!" she snapped, "I wasn't the one fighting the troll back in first year!" They both cut the conversation short as they ducked to avoid the swinging chain.

"In case you didn't notice Hermione, this is a bit different!" yelled Harry as they got up again.

"Well we have to do _something_!" she replied, "Duck!" They barely missed the chain coming back a second time.

Meanwhile Fred and George were still fighting. They tried Stunning the troll, but its tough hide protected it. George looked up and saw Legolas fighting orcs on what looked like an upper level of the chamber, so they leapt up to join him. All three of them took out knives and started dueling. The orcs never had a chance against the skilled fighters. But the troll did. He flung his whip and they all ducked. It came around again and this time it got caught around a pillar. Legolas trapped it with his foot and yanked at it. Then he climbed up onto the troll's back to shoot an arrow into it's head. For their part, the twins had started gathering up all of the dead orcs' weapons. "Keep it steady mate," Fred called out to Legolas. The troll was thrashing about in pain, arms flailing, trying to pull the elf off of his head and get the arrow out.

"Steady, steady," muttered Fred, as they aimed some of the weapons, "Now!"

Both boys started flinging the swords and daggers into the troll's back. Not a single one went off target. They worked quickly, because the troll was shrieking and trying to pull the swords out of his back. Legolas had already jumped down as things started to get too dangerous. Finally as George flung the last dagger, the two had to jump down too.

While all this was going on, Harry and Hermione were desperately trying to come up with a way to kill the troll. The orcs weren't too much of a problem; their numbers were starting to recede. Even the hobbits, who knew about as much as the kids did when it came to sword fighting, were doing fine on their own. Sam had even started taking out his pots and pans and began slamming orcs with them, a unique but effective way of fighting. Frodo was slashing at orcs with his glowing Elvish dagger, Sting, that Bilbo had given him. Merry and Pippin were fighting closer to Fred and George, and together they kept the twins from being too overwhelmed with fighting the evil creatures.

Harry watched the four of them, then looked at the troll, who had not succeeded in getting the weapons out of his back, and was getting steadily weaker. He suddenly remembered something he had done that night on Halloween. "Merry! Pippin!" he called.

Merry, who had just drove his blade into an orc that was about to attack Fred from behind, looked up and motioned for Pippin to follow. "What is it Harry?" he asked.

"I have an idea," explained Harry, and he told them his plan.

"That's crazy! We could die!" cried Pippin.

"Ok then. If you'd rather we just wait a little longer and let the troll finish us off some other way, be my guest," said Harry. Pippin shut his mouth. "I think it'll work," continued Harry, "If we're fast enough that is."

"Fine, we'll do it," said Merry, and they dashed up to the upper level. Relieved, Harry quickly relayed his plan to Hermione, who agreed to tell everyone else.

As Merry and Pippin got into position, however, Frodo suddenly cried out. Harry wheeled around in his direction and was horrified to see a huge spear sticking out of him. He hadn't realized the troll was headed in his direction, and now it was too late. Next to him lay Aragorn. His eyes were closed, and he wasn't moving. Praying that he was just unconscious, Harry started towards them.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed in alarm, pointing at the troll's back. Harry turned to look.

Merry and Pippin, it seemed, had seen Frodo, and in utter anguish they decided not to wait for Harry's signal and go ahead with the plan anyway. They look a running jump and leapt onto the troll's back, in the same way that Harry had five years ago. But Harry wasn't ready yet, and although it did work the way he wanted it to, the troll was completely distracted, he himselfwas taken totally off guard.

"What do we do?" asked Hermione in distress as the troll caught Merry and Pippin and started to swing them around.

Harry recovered from the initial shock and yelled, "NOW!"

"_STUPEFY_!" screamed all four wizards at the same time. Gandalf even added in some spells that he knew with his staff.

It was all too much for the troll. It fell face down on the floor with a moan.

"Is it dead?" asked Hermione.

In response, Gimli walked up and slammed his ax in its neck. "Now it is," he said simply.

Hermione groaned and muttered, "_Boys_!"

Meanwhile the others had gathered around Frodo, who had also slumped face down on the ground. Aragorn, thankfully, was awake; he had only been unconscious after all. He gingerly turned Frodo over, and everyone was startled to see the hobbit gasping for breath, but very much alive. "I'm alright; I'm not hurt," he panted.

"Not hurt? Merlin, we thought you were dead mate," breathed Fred.

"I think there is more to this hobbit then meets the eye," said Gandalf, with an almost knowing smile on his face. Frodo nodded and revealed what had been hidden under his chest: a coat made of _mithril_ that Bilbo had given him before he left Rivendell. Gimli stared at the shirt in awe.

"Well, that explains a lot," said Harry, grinning, "It's a good thing you had that to protect you."

Their relief was short-lived however, as they heard more orcs coming. "Not again," groaned George.

"To the bridge of Khazad-dum," was all Gandalf said.

They all fled, back into the Hall as fast as their legs could carry them. Hermione found herself bringing up the rear, her brain was quick but her legs weren't. Harry saw her trying to keep up. "C'mon, hurry!" he yelled, and he ran back to egg her along.

They were halfway there when orcs and goblins started coming out of nowhere, running down the pillars or swarming through the doors to stop the Fellowship. Soon they were surrounded. Harry knew there was no way out of this one, they were hopelessly outnumbered, but he braced himself and held up his wand and sword in defiance anyway.

Then, just when it seemed like there was no hope left, they heard a rumbling noise from the far end of the Hall. The doorway behind them suddenly glowed orange and they could hear the thudding noise of something coming closer and closer.

The orcs shrieked and scattered. They all climbed as fast as they could up the pillars in their mad frenzied hurry to escape. Gimli laughed in triumph, but Harry felt his anxiety mounting. What could've possibly frightened all those orcs? He doubted it was anything good. Judging by the look of sudden terror on Hermione's face, he began to fear the worst.

"What is it?" he asked Gandalf.

"I don't know and I really don't want to hang around and find out," said Fred.

"It is a Balrog, a demon of the underworld," replied Gandalf.

Hermione gave a moan of terror.

"This is beyond the strength of any of you," said Gandalf slowly, "Run!"

They didn't need telling twice. Everyone dashed the rest of the way through to the other door, down a flight of steps, and then halted at a gap between the stairs. Legolas easily jumped across, then motioned for Gandalf to follow, then Hermione leapt over, then with Fred holding Merry and George holding Pippin, the four friends jumped. But it was too much on the ancient stairs, and the stone where they had just been standing crumbled, making the gap larger. Boromir jumped next, then Aragorn tossed Sam, and then tried to toss Gimli, but he refused the helpand tried to make the jump himself. The result was that he nearly slipped and fell, but Legolas grabbed onto his beard and pulled him up.

Suddenly some more of the steps gave way. Aragorn and Frodo ran up further, but Harry found himself slipping and clinging to the edge. Hermione screamed. A few orcs that had seen them along the walls began shooting at him. Legolas responded by shooting back. Harry was struggling to hoist himself up when he felt Aragorn's strong arms seize him and pull him up. "Are you alright?" he asked. Harry nodded. But now all three of them were trapped on the other side.

Then a few boulders came down and smashed away some of the steps behind them. The stairs began to sway. "Lean!" yelled Aragorn. They all leaned towards the edge, and Harry felt himself sliding towards the others, who were reaching out to catch them. The rock holding the stairs cracked, and Harry, Aragorn, and Frodo fell right into the others. Then Gandalf led them on.

The Fellowship had just reached the Bridge, when in a wreath of flame a huge fiery demon leapt up and roared, with both a flaming sword and fiery whip in his hands. He was black, with red eyes and huge curved horns on his head, and was very fearsome-looking. Hermione screamed a warning.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" screamed Gandalf, and he hurried the others over before stopping midway and turning to face the beast. "You cannot pass," he said.

Frodo screamed for him. The Balrog halted and swayed cautiously on the bridge. Harry had his eyes screwed shut, muttering, "He'll be fine, he'll be alright, he's Gandalf, he can do it." Hermione clutched his arm in fear.

The Balrog decided to ignore Gandalf's warnings and charged ahead, swinging his sword, but a white light from the old wizard's staff blocked him. "You shall not pass!" he yelled, and slammed his staff and sword into the bridge.

Again, the Balrog hesitated, and again it decided to ignore him, but this time it was to his own expense. The bridge cracked from underneath him, and sent him down into the deep dark abyss beneath the narrow bridge.

"Blimey, he's done it," whispered Fred weakly. But just as Gandalf turned to follow them, the Balrog's whip came out and wrapped itself around Gandalf's legs, dragging him down. Harry immedialty started to run to him, but the twins, who seemed to have a better grasp of the situation, grabbed him and held him back.

"GET OFF ME GUYS, GET OFF, HE'S GONNA DIE!" screamed Harry, but they held on tight.

Gandalf stared at them for the last time. "Fly you fools!" he whispered, and then let go.

Harry felt numb. He knew Fred and George were pulling him along with the rest of the group, he felt his legs running with the rest of them, heard Frodo screaming and Boromir carrying him out, he saw the arrows of orcs flying past his ears, but to him, it was all part of a distant dream, it wasn't real. He became aware of the fact that they were out of the Mines, that everyone around him was either crying or trying to comfort each other, but at the same point wasn't aware of it. Nothing seemed right anymore, because Gandalf had fallen. To him, Gandalf dying was like Dumbledore dying: he had always expected him to be there, no matter what. Furthermore, a death among the Company brought home to him something that he hadn't really thought about before: they might not survive this war. They might die in the attempt to help Frodo, and he might never see Hogwarts again. The thought brought tears to his eyes, but he quickly brushed them aside, not wanting to look weak.

Aragorn was telling them they had to leave. Harry couldn't believe anyone could want to do that, all he wanted to do was run back in to the spot where Gandalf had been. But Aragorn pulled him along, insisting that they had to get to Lothlorien. Harry neither knew nor cared what Lothlorien was. But after one last look at the mountains, he trudged slowly away; full of grief and wishing this nightmare would end. It would, but not for a very long time, as he was about to discover.

A/N: OMG 9 REVIEWS IN ONE CHAPTER! YAAAAAYYYY! I LOVE YOU GUYS! (see how happy you make me when you review ;)? ) Ne ways...

**infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Ah, you're killing me here! I want to tell you where they are so bad but I can't! You'll just have to be patient, they're coming along just fine. As for Harry's ring obsession, that and his little chat with Gandalf will actuallyhelp him later on with his life, I'll let you know that much!

**UK All the Way: **Don't worry, Harry won't replace Boromir. He'll havesomething slightly different happen when I get to Parth Galen. You'll see...

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **"sniff"That was SO sad! I can seriously relate to that kid because I like to make my own family videos in my spare time too (though they're nowhere near as good as his!). What part of the commentaries were you talking about though? I listened to the director and the cast ones a while ago so I don't really remember if they mentioned him or not. About the story, you'll see what happens to Harry, I love Bill too, and I think one of my favorite parts to write was Hermione and the password. I knew she'd be the type of person to figure that out!

**beautystar:** Hey, I like my long chaps! Long chaps rule! lol Thank you for your reviews!

**darknesscomes: **Well, here's chapter 9! Did you like it?

**Justx4xfun04: **Thank you! As you can see, I did update! Are you happy? lol

**Radzilla: **Wow, someone besides my immediate family and friends is actually impressed with my work? I must say I am touched! Glad you like what I did to Gred and Forge, I love those two, and I really want to get them right!

**canidus-lupus-full Moon: **Thanks for your review!


	10. Galadriel's Secret

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 10: Galadriel's Secret

Aragorn led a broken-hearted Fellowship to the woods of Lothlorien as fast as he could. He knew that by sunset the orcs would leave Moria and try to hunt them down. They would be safer by far in the ancient forest where a kingdom of Elves dwelt.

He turned to urge the group on, but caught the look on Harry's face and decided they were going as fast as they could under the circumstances. He was very concerned about his young friend. Harry was clearly not taking the loss of Gandalf well, and it bothered Aragorn to see him looking so lost and forlorn. Frodo looked the same. They were both trudging along with depressed looks on their faces that said plainly they were hurting inside.

In truth, Harry's grief had turned to anger. Anger at Fred and George for holding him back, anger at Aragorn for making them go on, anger at Gimli for suggesting that they go in the Mines, anger at Hermione for creating the stupid portal in the first place, even anger at Gandalf for letting go. But most of all, he was angry at himself. He felt certain he could've done something to save Gandalf, and he felt completely worthless. Add his recent obsession with the Ring, and it would probably be better for the rest of the Fellowship if they went on without him.

Finally the Company reached Lothlorien. As soon as Harry set foot under the beautiful trees, he felt a deep, soothing calm flow through his body. He was beginning to relax, and he didn't understand why. Then he heard a whispering voice inside his head.

"_Welcome Harry Potter._"

Harry wheeled around. "Who said that?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam.

"I thought I heard some sort of voice, whispering to me…didn't you hear it?"

"No," said Sam a little uneasily.

"Do you think that's your Parseltongue Harry?" asked Hermione with concern.

"No, it sounds different…more human…"

"_You carry much grief and anger inside. Let it go and be at peace in my kingdom._"

Now Harry was getting anxious. "I just heard it again!" he cried, "It…it knows my name!"

"Harry I don't hear anyth…" Hermione broke off with a gasp.

"What now?" asked Merry.

"I heard it too!" she said in a hushed voice. "It called me by my name, I've never experienced anything like this before; what is it?" she asked fearfully.

"It might be the one they call the Sorceress of the Golden Wood," whispered Gimli.

"What's that?" asked Pippin.

"An Elf-witch," replied Gimli, "They say that all who look upon her fall under her spell, and are never seen again."

Normally Hermione would've scoffed at what she considered to be utter nonsense, but after hearing that mysterious voice, she felt different. She was so lost in thought that she nearly walked right into the Elf-guard pointing his bow at her. She shrieked in surprise and stepped back.

Harry was surprised to find himself and the others surrounded by Elves. Unlike Legolas and the elves in Rivendell, they did not look friendly.

"What's going on?" muttered Fred to George, "I thought elves were supposed to be _good_!"

The leader of this particular group of elves, whose name was Haldir, looked at them sharply. "We are. It is you we are not so sure of," he said sternly.

Aragorn had his hands up as a sign of peace, and he started talking to Haldir in Elvish. The elf's face remained expressionless, but he finally waved his hand to the Fellowship and said simply, "Follow me."

The troop of elves led them through the woods until nightfall, when they climbed up into the trees. Harry found himself on a platform out of many all hidden in the trees. On the branches were silver lamps that gave the place an unearthly beautiful feel.

Haldir was now speaking to Legolas and Aragorn in Elvish. Harry had no idea what he was saying, but it sounded like a greeting of some kind. Gimli neither knew nor cared what they were saying. He was just annoyed that he couldn't understand any of it, and he let Haldir know it too.

Haldir glared at him. "We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Days," he said in a voice that said quite plainly he didn't like a dwarf in Lothlorien at all.

Hermione was deeply annoyed by their bickering. "Oh for heaven's sake," she cried exasperatedly, "How are we supposed to fight Sauron's armies if we're fighting amongst ourselves? I haven't been here for very long, but I can see it's about time you all put your differences aside and concentrate on the real Enemy!"

Haldir blinked in surprise. No mortal had ever talked to him that way before. For a minute, Aragorn was worried that Hermione had offended him, but then the elf smiled.

"She is right," he said, sounding very surprised. Then, with what still seemed like great difficulty, he said to Gimli, "I apologize."

Gimli grunted in reply. He looked rather startled himself.

Then Haldir turned and looked at Frodo. "You bring great evil with you," he said slowly, and Harry knew he was talking about the Ring. "You can go no further."

Aragorn immediately pulled the guard aside and started arguing with him in Elvish. Hermione listened to them with a worried expression on her face.

"What are they saying?" asked Harry.

"He's trying to convince the elves to let us through. If they don't we could be stuck fleeing from more orcs."

"And?"

"And, I'm not sure if the elves want to bring us anywhere near their city, because we have the Ring and everything."

"Can't they protect us?" asked Fred.

"It's not about protection really, it's something else," said Hermione thoughtfully, "I wish I knew what it was!"

"I wish Gandalf were here," said George.

Harry was about to snap at him, saying that if they hadn't held him back, he might've gotten to Gandalf in time. But deep down he wasn't so sure if that was true. The fact that Gandalf had simply let go had been bothering him ever since they left Moria.

Five minutes passed, then ten, then twenty, and still neither Aragorn nor Haldir seemed to be making any progress convincing the other. By now the others had sat down, talking in low voices or simply staring into space, just like they had back in Moria when Gandalf was trying to remember the way out.

Harry let his mind wander back to that moment. With a slight jolt he realized that had been the last time he'd spoken to Gandalf personally. What had his fellow wizard said again? Harry felt it must have been very important.

Then he remembered. Gandalf had told him to trust in his own abilities. He advised him to learn to control his emotions so he wouldn't succumb to the ring. And he had said there would always be people willing to help him. Yet Harry had had the feeling that there was something more to his message, something he hadn't understood at the time, but should be able to figure out now. Why hadn't Gandalf said that he would be willing to help Harry as well? Why did he say others would?

It hit Harry then. "He knew," he said softly.

"Who? What?" asked a startled Hermione.

"Gandalf," said Harry simply, "He knew the whole time."

"Knew what?" she asked, looking very confused.

"He knew he was going to die."

It seemed incredible, but it was true: Gandalf had known what would happen when he went through Moria, knew he was putting his own life in danger, but he went anyway. Why?

Hermione was nodding now. "I wouldn't be surprised if that were true," she said, "But what made you think that?"

"When I was talking to him earlier, he was giving me advice, telling me what I had to do and everything, and I couldn't understand why, but I felt like there was a second meaning to it. Now I know. He was saying goodbye. He was getting me ready for when I wouldn't have him to turn to. I think he did the same thing with Frodo. I saw them talking a few minutes later, but I never heard what they said."

He turned to Frodo, who was sitting talking with Boromir nearby. It looked like the older man was comforting him. "You carry a heavy burden Frodo," he was saying, "Don't carry the weight of the dead."

Harry felt strangely comforted by these words, though they were not directed at him. With a shock he realized it had been months since he last dwelt on Cedric's death last summer, or even his parents'. Seeing that other people had problems similar to his hadmade him feel better.

"Frodo?" he asked, "What did Gandalf say to you?"

Frodo screwed his face in concentration as he strained to remember. "He…he said something like…I was just saying how I wished none of this had happened, and he told me that everyone who goes through this feels the same way…and then…yes, he said, 'What you must do is do the best you can with the time that is given to you.'"

"I think you're right Harry," said Hermione, "He was saying goodbye." And Harry was left to ponder over everything that had been said.

Meanwhile Fred and George were talking to Merry and Pippin, for a change. They were talking about "battle tactics".

"Reckon these elves would like to try a custard cream?" asked Fred.

"You'd better not," said Merry warningly, "These elves aren't like the ones in Rivendell, from what I can see. I wouldn't want to mess with them."

"Pippin was right," said George, "You _are_ a spoilsport!"

"He said that, did he?" said Merry, wheeling around to glare at Pippin.

Pippin blushed. "Well, you can be Merry, you know that! Everyone in the Shire knows that!"

Merry kicked him and turned towards the twins. "I say we wait 'til the day we leave. Then by the time they can kill us, we'll be gone!"

"Smart move," said George as Fred and Pippin nodded.

At that moment Haldir turned to the others. He did not look happy. "Follow me," he said.

"Did he agree?" whispered Harry to Hermione.

"I think so," she whispered back.

She was right. The next morning the Fellowship and the troop of elves arrived at Caras Galadhon, the city of Lothlorien. It took them all night to finally get to the top of the highest tree, where the palace of the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel was situated.

When Harry first saw the rulers of Lothlorien, he was nearly blinded by the white light that seemed to illuminate them. He was in awe over the majestic beauty of the two elves. They looked young, but they seemed ancient and wise beyond anyone else. Harry was especially interested in Galadriel. When she spoke, he realized it was her he heard in his head.

Celeborn greeted the Fellowship, and then asked for Gandalf. Apparently Elrond had sent a message ahead of time announcing their arrival. Nobody seemed too eager to tell him what happened in Moria. But it seemed Galadriel already knew. She gave them all a piercing glance, until Legolas spoke up and told them about the Balrog. Gimli blushed and looked miserable. Harry felt a rush of guilt about his anger towards the dwarf only a few hours ago.

But Galadriel was compassionate, more so then most of the other elves. With her powerful elven senses, she'd seen and heard everything Hermione had said to Haldir last night, and she couldn't agree more. She knew that what happened to Gandalf had not been Gimli's fault, and she made sure he knew it.

"Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart Gimli son of Gloin," she said with a sympathetic smile, "For the world is full of peril, and in all places, love is now mingled with grief."

And Harry might've been imagining it, but he could've sworn her eyes flickered in his direction before resting on Boromir, who gasped and looked away.

Hermione stood staring at Galadriel, wondering about this mysterious elf, when the Lady turned and gave her a piercing stare. Hermione suddenly found that she was envisioning herself, sitting in the Hogwarts library, working hard as usual, but perfectly content and happy. She found herself longing to make the dream real.

_You could,_ said a voice in her head, _You could right now, you could abandon the Quest and no one would ever know_.

_Yes!_ thought Hermione excitedly. Then a thought struck her. _But wait, I can't do that. What utter nonsense, the others would know I was gone, and anyway, I promised Elrond we would help…_

As soon as this thought entered her head, the vision in the library vanished, and Hermione remembered where she was. She saw that Galadriel was smiling at her now. _It must've been a test_, she thought to herself in amazement.

Fred and George were having similar experiences. Fred saw himself pranking on Filch and Umbridge, George was dreaming of playing Quidditch, swinging his Beater's club for all he was worth at some Slytherins. But both remembered where they were, and both refused to leave, although it was hard.

Galadriel gazed at everyone in the Fellowship, but they all remained firm. She was very pleased. "Hope remains while the Company is true," she said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Tonight you will sleep here in peace."

"THANK YOU!" said Fred rather exuberantly, "I never thought I'd have a peaceful rest again!"

The others laughed, but Harry, as always, felt a little uneasy. He was slightly afraid of Galadriel, though he'd never admit it. He found himself sticking close to Aragorn as they descended and came to a pavilion that had been prepared for him. Seeing the soft, comfortable-looking cots made him feel very sleepy. He barely seemed to realize what he was doing as he plopped down on one of the beds and fell asleep in an instant.

* * *

Harry sensed, rather than felt, Galadriel's presence. She gently touched his arm and he was instantly awake, no matter how tired he'd felt before. "Come with me," was all she said, and he obeyed. 

She led him to a little grotto, descending down some winding stone steps onto soft grass. In the center of the grotto was a stone basin, and behind that was a fountain. Galadriel filled a silver pitcher with water and then slowly poured it into the basin. Looking more closely at it, Harry was reminded of the Pensieve that Dumbledore owned.

"Will you look into the Mirror?" she asked.

"That's a mirror?" asked Harry.

"It is the Mirror of Galadriel," she replied.

"What does it do?" he asked.

"It shows things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass."

"Is it different to everyone who looks in it?"

"Usually."

Harry stared at it nervously. But he couldn't see any harm in looking at it, it was just a mirror, it wouldn't hurt him. Right?

First, he saw only his reflection. Then the waters rippled, and Harry gasped at the images that began to flash before his eyes.

Dumbledore was pacing in his study, looking deeply concerned. "It can't be helped," he was saying to what looked like McGonagall, "I know why he chose her, but there is no one left to fill the post…"

Then he saw Ron, but he had no idea where his best friend was. He was in a dark room, and he looked nervous and slightly jumpy. Next he saw Ginny, dressed in blue, stroking the nose of a black horse. Then he heard battle cries, and watched as dark, evil looking monsters marched to a giant stone fortress in the mountains. Then came something much worse. He saw nine very familiar hooded figures in a fiery stone tower. He heard them hissing to their Master, and an angry shrieking reply. And then he saw it: a huge, flaming Eye, staring menacingly around his lair in what Harry realized must be Mordor. Then he heard two words: _Find them_!

Harry screamed and jerked back. Galadriel stared at him, eyes full of concern. "I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind."

"What is that thing?" gasped Harry, "Is it real?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, everything you saw was real, or could happen."

"What was that Eye?"

"That was Sauron."

Harry had had a bad feeling about this, but to have the fear confirmed made it seem so much worse. "What's he going to do?"

"I don't know, but I think as long as you stay protected by the rest of the Fellowship, you will be safe. It is absolutely necessary that you remain safe. The fate of your own world lies within it."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"My heart longs to tell you. It is a secret that has long been denied you. I have seen it in my Mirror. But I have also seen times when you could've been told the truth, but you weren't, so I am sure it was for a good reason. I doubt I should be the one to tell you."

"Tell me what?" asked Harry.

"I'm afraid I can't say. I'm sorry, but when you are ready, you will know."

Harry felt a jolt of recognition, he'd heard those last fewwords before, years ago, but who'd said them? He couldn't remember. But he did remember something else.

"Where are Ron and Ginny?"

"They are safe, as far as I can see. And I believe you will see them again, though maybe not right away. I know you wish to go home, but your journey is far from over. Even if Frodo decides to leave."

Harry's head snapped up. "What!"

"I told him he must finish this task alone."

"But when? And why?"

"I just saw him a few minutes before I summoned you. I wanted to speak to you each alone. But, although I know you want to help, you must remember thattjis is Frodo's journey, and he alone can succeed."

"I guess I knew that," Harry mumbled, "But to tell you the truth, I'm usually the leader. I'm not used to this." A thought struck him. "Does this have anything to do with my attraction to the Ring?"

Galadriel smiled at him sympathetically, "A little bit."

Harry sighed. "I feel terrible," he said, "But I guess I really can't help it."

"You are not the only one attracted to it," she said suddenly, looking very serious.

Harry was startled. "Who else then?"

"You will know soon enough," she said. She looked up at the starry sky, suddenly looking a lot older, seeming almost weary of the world she'd lived in for so long. It occurred to Harry that for the elves, immortality wasn't the most wonderful thing. Their lives continued for all of eternity. It must be heartbreaking and boring sometimes, especially when they grew attached to humans that they knew would eventually die.

Galadriel looked back down and seemed to regain her senses. "It is late," she said, "You need rest. Get some sleep now, while you still can." With that, she walked up the steps silently and left Harry standing there without a word. After watching her leave, Harry again grew very tired, and walked back to bed, where he once again sank onto his bed in a dreamless sleep…

A/N: Wow, we're almost at forty reviews! Keep it up people, you're doing great!

**UK All the Way: **Oh no, don't lose your sanity! AAAAAA! lol Is this soon enough? I hope so! Yeah, I loved the part when Fred throws the skeleton in, I laughed when I wrote that, it's a very Fred thing to do!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **(sniff) I inspired someone? (starts to cry) I feel TOUCHED! YAY! Hehe I liked that story btw. I never thought about turning them into hobbits!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Yeah I decided that Fred and George would make good swordfighters, and it went well with the story. Glad you liked it!

**Genvessel: **THERE you are! I wondered. You're right, no one can do LotR better than the master himself! And everything that happens here will definitely affect Harry, especially things in this chapter, that's why I had quite a few movie lines, I think they are all things Harry really needs to hear.

**LillyandJamesforever: **I'm sorry, no, Ginny isn't in Lothlorien, yes, Harry did look into the Mirror, and oh boy oh boy, wait 'til you see what his parting gift is! ;) I did read your story, and I think I left a review, but if I didn't, I did enjoy it a lot.

**Darknesscomes: **Thanks! Keep reviewing!

**Prongsthewhithart: **I'm SO sorry! Last time I kept checking and re-checking to make sure I responded to everyone, and then I forgot you! I'm SO sorry! Hehe ur review scared me for a minute there until I saw that you said it was very good! I'm glad you liked it!

BTW for those of youwho didn't know and are confused, Harry's vision of Dumbledore was when he was forced to hire Umbridge. I dunno why I did that, it really had no point to the story, but it served as a first scene for Harry to see. And no one's in Lothlorien, so sorry, but I've had it planned from the beginning where I want them to go and that's that. I tried to make it up to you by letting Harry see them through the Mirror. Don't worry, I've started Ch. 11 already!


	11. Gifts and Goodbyes

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 11: Gifts and Goodbyes

"Harry? Harry?"

Harry groaned and rolled over in his sleep.

"Harry? Harry, come on, wake up," the voices insisted.

Harry pretended not to hear.

Pippin turned to his friends. "It's not working," he said.

"I've got an idea," said Fred, "But it will involve me hexing all of you."

"What is it?" asked Merry.

Fred whispered it to the others. They all nodded. Fred and George pointed their wands at their throats and muttered "_Sonorous_!" Then they did the same to Merry and Pippin. Fred raised his finger as a signal, and together they all yelled at the same time:

"WAKE UP HARRY!"

Harry bolted up with a yell and looked around wildly. He found all four of them laughing hysterically and pointing at him.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" said George, wiping tears from his eyes.

"What was that for?" asked Harry furiously.

"Everyone else is up. It's time to leave," said Merry.

"Already?" groaned Harry. He loved Lothlorien and didn't want to go so soon.

"Harry, we've been here for _two months_," said Fred, "It's about time we kept going. The sooner this journey ends, the better."

"_Two months_?" asked Harry disbelievingly, "It feels more like two _days_!"

"Well, time passes more quickly when you're in Lorien," said Pippin, "At least, that's what Aragorn says."

"Anyway, you'd better hurry mate, they've packed all the boats and Galadriel wants to give us each something before we go," said George.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Dunno," said Fred, "I guess something to help us on our journey."

Harry quickly dressed and went with the others to one of the borders of Lothlorien, the great Anduin River. The elves were waiting for them, and they gave the Fellowship elven cloaks, which worked a bit like the invisibility cloak, except it just allowed them to blend in with their surroundings. Then Galadriel presented them each with a gift. Legolas received a bow of the Galadhrim, Merry and Pippin got elven daggers, Sam got some elven rope, and Boromir got a belt of gold. She gave Hermione a special brooch.

"If you are ever in danger, put your hand over it, and your friends will know and come to your aid," she said.

"Thank you my lady," said Hermione, bowing and leaving.

Galadriel turned to Fred and George. "Here," she said, smiling and handing them both pouches. Inside was some powder.

"What does it do?" asked Fred.

"It's fire powder," said Galadriel, "If you throw it on something, it causes that thing to explode. I thought you might find it useful for a distraction." The twins stared at the pouches as if all their dreams had come true. "But remember, use it wisely," she warned, before turning to Harry.

"I have a special gift for you," she said, "I'm sure you remember using this." She pulled out a long sword. On its hilt were giant rubies, and a name was engraved on the blade. There was no doubt to Harry what it was.

"That's Godric Gryffindor's sword," he breathed, "How did you get that!"

"I summoned it," she said simply, "I can summon things between worlds if I need to. I believe you shall need this sword before this war is over. _Namarie_ Harry Potter." And she turned to the next member, leaving Harry to gape at his gift.

The Fellowship was leaving by elven boats. Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam were in one boat, Hermione, Legolas, and Gimli were in another, Boromir, Merry, and Pippin were in the third, and Harry, Fred, and George were in the last. They waved to Celeborn and Galadriel, then rounded a bend, and soon Lothlorien began to fade from sight, but not before the group heard bangs and explosions in the distance. Everyone except Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin turned to see what was happening. They couldn't see too much, except for a few colorful sparks here and there.

"What's happening?" asked Hermione fearfully.

Legolas narrowed his eyes to see the orange shape moving above the trees in the distance. "It looks like a…dragon," he said.

Pippin couldn't control himself. He let out a very audible snort.

Everyone looked at him. "What?" asked Aragorn sternly.

"Nothing," said George innocently, "Keep rowing!"

"What did you four do?" asked Hermione.

"Just a little parting prank," said Fred, "They'll be able to put it out in no time!"

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Fireworks," said Fred, "In memory of Gandalf!" All four boys roared with laughter.

"I hope the elves can put them out," said Hermione.

"Oh they will, it's not that hard," said George.

By now most of the Fellowship was trying to hold back grins. If it hadn't have been for these four, their journey would be much more boring and nerve-wracking. But their light-hearted moment didn't last long as they continued a rather uneventful journey on the river. There was no one around, but Harry had the feeling they were being followed.

One night he found out what it was. They were camped on a beach along the river, and most of the Company had fallen asleep. Boromir was peering around a rock and staring at the river. "What is it?" asked Harry.

"Look," he said, pointing. There was a log floating on the other side. And Harry thought it looked like something was on it, something that looked horribly like a hand.

"What is that thing?" he gasped.

"It's Gollum," said Aragorn from behind them. The two jumped and turned around. "I hoped we'd lose him on the river, but he's too clever a waterman."

"Why's he following us?" asked Harry.

"Why is anyone following us? He's after the Ring!" said Boromir. He looked uncertainly at Aragorn, "You know, we could do what I suggested the first place, and bring the Ring to Minas Tirith…"

"No," said Aragorn sharply.

"But it's close to Mordor," insisted Boromir, "We could regroup, and strike out from a place of strength!"

"No!" said Aragorn, "I won't lead the Ring within a hundred leagues of your city!"

Boromir opened his mouth to argue, but Harry told him to stop. "Aragorn knows what he's doing," he said simply.

Aragorn now looked very upset. He turned and walked off on his own. Harry followed.

"Aragorn?" he asked hesitantly, "Did I say something wrong? What's the matter?"

Aragorn looked thoroughly miserable. "You don't understand Harry," he said sadly, "I have _no idea_ what I'm doing!"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"When we first started out, Gandalf was supposed to be the leader. Not me. I don't know what he meant to do, or if I'm doing the right thing, and everyone looks up to me, and expects me to make it all right, but how can I when I don't know how?"

"I know how you feel Aragorn," said Harry quietly, "I go through this a lot at home. Just because Voldemort failed to kill me when I was a baby, everyone expects me to be the hero. But I don't think I can do it!"

"You're still young," said Aragorn, "I'm sure as you grow older you will experience things that will help you."

"I think I'm experiencing something like that right now!"

"Well, I'll always be there for you if you need me," said Aragorn.

"And I'll try to be there for you," said Harry.

Aragorn smiled at him. "I thought we had a lot in common when we first met," he said, "I think I was right. Thank you for your advice."

The next morning the boats approached the Falls of Rauros. They had to pass two gigantic statues with their hands outstretched first. They were the pillars of two great kings of Gondor, in a place called Argonath. Aragorn was gazing in awe at the statues; they were his ancestors after all. Hermione was also amazed.

"I wonder how long it took to carve those?" she asked.

"Who knows?" said Legolas, "I don't know anything about stone-work."

"I do," said Gimli, "And I must say, I'm impressed by these pillars. They look like they took a decade to build at least."

All three of them had become good friends despite their obvious differences. Hermione kept the two boys entertained for hours with stories about Hogwarts. They pressed her for every detail, and she enjoyed giving it to them. Legolas loved hearing about the grounds, the lake, the Forest, even the greenhouses. Gimli wanted to know more about the building itself.

"Fascinating," he would say, "Are there hidden passageways in the school too?"

"Yes," said Hermione, "Though I don't know where all of them are, you'd have to ask Fred and George."

"I will," said Gimli.

"Tell me more about the Forest," Legolas insisted. "I want to know more about the centaurs. They sound a little bit like my own people."

"You've already had her talking about that bloody forest for over an hour," grumbled Gimli, "You had your turn, now let me hear about the school itself!" But he was never really angry at the elf; their relationship had gotten passed that. Hermione would just laugh as she watched them go back and forth; they reminded her of Harry and Ron a little bit.

Once they got to the Falls of Rauros, the Fellowship stopped and made camp by the beach. Aragorn had a feeling there were orcs on the other side, and he wanted to make sure that it was dark before they crossed and continued the rest of their journey on foot.

Sam got out the cooking utensils again, and started to light a fire. Pippin quickly stole some _lembas_ bread, a type of elvish food used for long journeys, and gave it to his friends, where they sat in corner away from the others, munching contentedly. Frodo waited until he thought no one was looking before wandering off on his own. Legolas was too busy staring into the woods with a worried expression on his face. Hermione and Aragorn made their way towards him.

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione.

"There's something out there," he replied, "I can feel it."

"What do you think it is?" asked Aragorn.

"I don't know," said Legolas, "But I'd rather not find out. I think we should leave now."

"I already told you, we can't," said Aragorn.

"But if there's something _here_," said Hermione, "I'd rather take my chances with the orcs."

Aragorn just shook his head and left them.

Harry was the first to realize who was missing in the group. "Where are Frodo and Boromir?"

Aragorn looked around. "I'd better go find them," he said.

"I'll help you," said Harry.

"Me too," said Hermione.

"All right," said Aragorn, "We'll split up and meet back here in a few minutes. The rest of you please stay here. I don't want us all getting lost."

Aragorn headed in the center direction, Hermione went to the left, and Harry to the right. He hadn't gone far when he heard shouts. Dashing in the direction of the noises, he thought he felt something rush by him near his feet. He looked around but saw nothing. With a sudden sickening feeling, he realized what it had been.

"Frodo?" he called. No answer. Harry turned and ran in the direction he thought Frodo had most likely gone. "Frodo? Frodo?" He finally reached a clearing, where he found the frightened looking hobbit on the ground. "Frodo!" he called, "Are you all right? What happened? Why did you use the Ring?"

Frodo turned to look at him. His eyes were wide with fear. "It has taken Boromir," he replied.

Harry gasped. "What? When? What happened? Did he try to take it from you? Did he attack you?"

Numbly, Frodo nodded.

"Are you ok?" asked Harry.

"Yes, I'm fine," he replied. Then he looked directly into Harry's eyes. Harry knew what he was about to say.

"It's ok," he said, "I know. I understand."

"You do?" asked Frodo in surprise.

"Yeah. Galadriel told me."

They were silent for a few seconds. Neither wanted to face the inevitable, but they knew in their hearts what they each had to do. Then Aragorn came up from behind them.

"Boys?" he asked, "Are you all right?"

"It took Boromir," said Harry simply, "Frodo has to leave."

Aragorn nodded. He too understood. He placed Frodo's hand in his and looked into the hobbit's eyes. "I would've gone with you to the end, into the very fires of Mordor."

"I know," said Frodo.

The silence was suddenly interrupted by a crashing noise to their right. Someone was dashing as fast as they could towards the three. Aragorn, Harry, and Frodo drew their swords as the thing came nearer and nearer…

* * *

While all this had been happening, Hermione had been searching for Frodo and Boromir along the left path. She had not gone far when she heard voices. But these were not her friends' voices. These were harsh orc-like voices. Actually, they weren't orcs, they were Uruk-hai. Hermione crept closer, straining to catch what they were saying. 

"We are approaching their camp. Remember the Master's orders: find the Halflings and the wizards, kill the others."

Hermione felt a chill run down her spine as she listened.

"How do we know which are which?"

"The Halflings are smaller than the others, except they don't have beards, that would be a dwarf."

"I know what dwarves are…"

"The wizards, I am told, carry wooden sticks with magic in them. If they start waving them and casting spells, you will know what they are. I believe Saruman also got some sort of description from the Great Eye himself, a boy with black hair, and two boys with red hair and freckles that look identical."

There was some muttering at this. With a jolt Hermione realized they hadn't mentioned her. The explanation was simple. The Ringwraiths had never encountered her, so they couldn't report her to Sauron.

Hermione didn't know any of this, but she didn't care. Somewhere in the woods, Harry and Frodo were wandering around, possibly alone and unprotected. And the others were still at the beach without any knowledge whatsoever about the Uruks' presence, if you didn't count Legolas. Without thinking further, Hermione dashed off to find Harry, Aragorn, Frodo, and Boromir. She had to warn them all as quickly as possible!

A/N: MUHAHAHAHA! I'm so evil! Thanks for your reviews! I updated faster than I expected to.

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Sorry, but I can't give you further clues about their wherabouts because I'd spoil everything! As for what Galadriel wanted to tell Harry, remember he definitley has heard the last part before. So either go back and read the series again, 'cause I'm not telling you which book it's in, or wait 'til the Epilouge, where I tie up loose ends!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Ah, I want to tell you whether you're right or not, but I can't! I just reviewed for your story, and I liked it!

**Radzilla: **Like I said to infallallthingsaremadesplendid, I can't give even one hint because then you'd know right away. You'll just have to be patient. So sorry!

**anianka: **Thanks, I love my cliffhangers too! Don't worry, Ron isn't in Mordor, though now that you mention it, I never even thought of that! That would've made an interesting plot twister though!

**moonlight and starlight: **Wow, my story's one of the good crossovers? Thanks so much, that makes me feel good! I'll continue to update when I can!

**Eclipse: **(from now on I'll just refer to you as that) Ooo, I wanna tell you so bad! But fir the sake of the story's suspense, I won't. You'll find out in a chapter ot two.

BTW, Namarie means "Farewell" in Elvish for those who didn't know. And I am working on Ch. 12 now!


	12. The Fellowship Breaks

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 12: The Fellowship Breaks

Harry, Aragorn, and Frodo had their swords drawn, as the noises in the trees came closer and closer. But Frodo noticed that Sting wasn't glowing blue, so it was either a friend coming or something far worse than an orc.

Actually, it was Hermione. She came dashing up to them, looking wild-eyed. "Thank goodness I found you!" she gasped.

"What's the matter Hermione?" asked Harry.

"Orcs!" she cried, "I heard them talking just now, and they know we're here, they're planning to attack us!"

"What!" asked Aragorn in alarm.

"It gets worse," said Hermione, "They're after you Frodo, and Sam, Merry, and Pippin! They're after the hobbits! And they're after you too Harry, and Fred and George! They're under orders from Sauron; they're supposed to capture you all alive!"

Harry felt sick. He remembered what he'd seen in the Mirror. Now he knew what Sauron had decided to do.

Aragorn turned to Frodo and Harry. Horrified, the hobbit realized his sword was now glowing. "Go, both of you! Run!"

"But what about…"

"I'll be fine Harry, run!"

Harry looked at Hermione. "I've got to warn the others," was all she said before she ran off.

Harry looked at Frodo, and then the two of them ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction. They hadn't run far when they heard the sound of fighting and a harsh orc-cry, "Find the Halfling! Find the wizards!"

"RUN!" yelled Harry and they kept racing through the trees, never once looking back.

* * *

Hermione ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She got back to the beach, but to her horror, the camp was empty! Then she calmed down long enough to realize that nothing seemed disturbed, so they obviously had not been attacked. So what happened?

The answer came almost instantly. Hermione heard sounds of battle nearby and Legolas yelling, "Aragorn go!" With a wave of relief she realized that they had heard the Uruk-hai and had gone to help. But she still had to warn Sam, Merry, Pippin, Fred, and George. So off she ran again.

* * *

Merry, Pippin, Fred, and George were, at the moment, fighting their way through the woods. Sam had left them all beforehand to look for Frodo, even though Aragorn had told him to stay at the camp. Legolas and Gimli had heard what was happening and went in the direction of Aragorn, but the twins refused to go with them, because they wanted to find Harry and make sure he was all right. So they all split up again.

Pippin looked around and spotted an old rotten log. "Quick," he called, "In here!" His friends followed, and found Frodo crouched behind a tree. Some Uruks ran past but didn't see him.

"Frodo," called Fred, "Do you know where Harry is?"

"Up here," whispered Harry. He couldn't hide behind the tree unnoticed like Frodo, so he was forced to climb.

"Are you ok?" asked George.

"Yeah."

"Come on Frodo, you can hide in here," said Pippin.

But Frodo shook his head.

"What's he doing?" Pippin asked the others.

"He's leaving," said Merry slowly.

Pippin wouldn't hear of it, and ran towards his cousin, the other three following.

"Guys NO!" said Harry. It was too late. Uruk-hai were coming down the hill towards them. In a minute they'd all be caught.

"OI!" yelled Fred suddenly, "Over here you stupid ugly monsters!" George, Merry, and Pippin understood at once and started yelling, pointing at themselves, and running in the opposite direction of Frodo and Harry. It worked. The Uruk-hai charged after them, completely missing the other two.

But Harry couldn't let them do this. He ran after them crying, "Wait, guys STOP!" They didn't hear him. One of the Uruks did, however, and pounced. Before he knew what was happening, Harry found himself fighting the huge, strong, terrifying creature. But it was too powerful for him. He found himself pinned facedown on the ground. The Uruk started to pick him up, but suddenly Harry felt its grip loosen as it collapsed to the ground. An arrow was sticking out of its back.

Legolas ran over and pulled Harry to his feet. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," gasped Harry.

A long low note suddenly sounded throughout the wood. "What on earth was that?" asked Harry.

"The Horn of Gondor," replied Legolas.

"Boromir," muttered Harry. He started running in the direction of the horn blows. "Find Aragorn and Gimli!" he called to Legolas, who nodded and headed in the opposite direction. Harry continued running, with a sinking feeling as he realized he was headed toward where he last saw Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin running.

* * *

Hermione sped through the trees, frantically looking for the hobbits. She found one, just not the one she was looking for in particular.

"Frodo!" she cried, "Have you seen Sam, Merry, or Pippin?"

"I saw Merry and Pippin!" he said breathlessly, "They, Fred and George were trying to lure the Uruk-hai away from me and Harry. It worked too. But don't worry, Harry went after them, so I'm sure they'll be alright."

"Where's Sam?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied.

"I'd better find him first then," she said, "Who knows what he got himself in to. You'd better head for the beach, they won't look for you there, they think we're all fighting out here."

Hermione, of course, had no idea that Frodo was headed in that direction anyway, since he was leaving and needed one of the boats. But he didn't tell her that, instead he simply said, "Ok" and was gone. Hermione went to look for Sam.

* * *

Fred and George were out of breath. They had run to an old stone bridge but now they and the hobbits were completely surrounded. Just when it looked like there was no hope for any of them, Boromir charged out with his sword raised and began to fight the monsters. After getting over the initial shock of this sudden turn of events, the other four began to fight too.

* * *

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam called more and more desperately, "Mr. Frodo where are you!"

"Sam?" called another voice. But it wasn't Frodo. It was Hermione. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, but where's Frodo?" he asked.

"He's headed back to camp," she replied.

Sam realized what Frodo was going to do as she said this. "No," he muttered, "He can't leave!"

"What!" asked Hermione in confusion and alarm.

"Frodo's going to leave us! He's going to take a boat and go to Mordor alone!"

"Oh no! We have to stop him! We're supposed to stick together!"

"Let's hurry back to the boats then," said Sam.

* * *

The Uruks kept coming. The five friends on the bridge were having trouble fighting them all. There wasn't too much Merry and Pippin could do against the beasts, but they did manage to knock a few out by hitting them with rocks.

No one noticed the leader of the Uruk-hai, Lurtz, climbing slowly up a hill nearby. He took out his bow, and fired it in their direction.

In one heart-stopping moment the arrow met its target as it slammed full force into Boromir.

George was the first to notice. He turned to stab another orc when he saw Boromir, gasping and clutching his chest. "Boromir what happ…" he stopped when he saw the arrow sticking out.

By now the others had noticed. They stared in horror at their friend, who turned around and continued fighting anyway, only to find Lurtz firing another arrow into his chest.

This time he nearly collapsed, but took one look at the hobbits and twins and summoned up his last amount of energy to kill a few more Uruks.

Lurtz fired again, and this time Boromir couldn't take any more. Sudden rage filled the four that were still standing and they charged, yelling war cries, desperate to avenge their fallen friend.

But the Uruks simply grabbed Merry and Pippin and carried them away. Two others managed to grab the twins from behind, and a bunch of them managed to drag them away. The other Uruk-hai followed. All that remained was Lurtz and Boromir. Their evil leader wanted to finish the job he'd started before leaving.

But before he could fire his last arrow, he heard someone yell, "_Stupefy!_" and felt something burning bounce off his thick armor. Harry leapt into the clearing, wand raised and sword gleaming. He didn't know what had happened to the others yet. But he did see what was happening to Boromir, and he wasn't letting this orc get away without a fight.

Lurtz looked at his attacker. He wondered how he could capture him without exactly hurting him too much; he was what Saruman wanted after all. Harry was eyeing him too, this guy was fierce, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to kill it.

Then Lurtz attacked! Harry found himself using every move he knew, whatever came to his head first, as he tried to fight it. For awhile neither seemed to make a dent on the other. Then Lurtz managed to tackle Harry to the ground, knocking his sword away. He leaned down to pick the boy up when Aragorn came flying out of no where and launched himself on the pair. Distracted, Lurtz began to fight the ranger as Harry ran to get his sword.

Even though it became two against one, Aragorn and Harry still found themselves up against a tough opponent. Harry tried stunning it while Aragorn hacked at it with his sword, but the spells bounced harmlessly off his armor. So instead he grabbed his sword and tried to help his ranger friend, but Lurtz was good at fighting them both at the same time. His only problem that he could see was how to kill one and capture the other without getting himself killed in the process.

In the end, fortunately, that was not possible. Aragorn managed to slice off one of the Uruk's arms, and Harry leaned into stab him. Somehow, Lurtz remained on his feet, glaring at Harry in defiance. Then Aragorn came running up and chopped off Lurtz's head. The battle was over. Harry collapsed onto the ground, completely exhausted. That last fight had taken all the strength out of him, that and the ugly wound he'd gotten when Lurtz tried to put a dagger in his shoulder. He found himself sinking into unconsciousness, vaguely wondering where everyone else was before blacking out.

* * *

Frodo pushed one of the boats into the river and started to paddle away. He heard voices crying, "Frodo! Frodo wait!" He tried to ignore them, he knew who they were, Sam and Hermione, but he wouldn't turn around, he was going alone and that was that.

"Frodo stop! We have to stick together!" cried Hermione. Frodo heard the sounds of them crashing in the water and could ignore them no longer.

"Go back guys!" he called, "I'm going to Mordor alone!"

"You can't go by yourself!" cried Hermione.

"If you go then I'm coming with you!" yelled Sam.

"You can't swim," Frodo told Sam.

"I can!" said Hermione. When she saw Sam thrashing in the water, she wrapped her arms around his waste and swam to the middle of the river, where Frodo pulled them into his boat.

"I made a promise Mr. Frodo," gasped Sam, who was close to tears, "A promise. 'Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee!' And I don't mean to Frodo. I don't mean to."

Hermione felt tears stinging her own face as she watched them hug. Frodo turned to her. "And what about you?" he asked, "Are you coming Hermione?"

"Well, considering I just swam halfway across the river to you, I'd think so!" she said.

Frodo smiled at her. "Thank you," he said softly, "I'm glad you two are with me." He took his paddle and continued to row to the other side of Anduin.

As the banks where the Fellowship had camped grew farther and farther away, Hermione felt a little regretful that she hadn't gotten to say goodbye to Harry, Fred, and George. They had just found each other, and now they were splitting up. But she couldn't watch out for them forever. They might've gotten into trouble a lot, but they could all take care of themselves. And maybe if she went with Frodo and Sam, they might find Ron and Ginny along the way. So when they got to the other side, Hermione took one last look at the beach, murmured, "Goodbye guys!" and then followed Frodo and Sam, as they headed to their ultimate destination: Mordor.

* * *

"Harry? Harry?"

Harry groaned and opened his eyes. He saw Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli all staring at him with sad, worried expressions on their faces. He realized who was missing. "Where's Boromir?" he asked.

"He died," said Aragorn sadly, "And Harry, I don't know how to tell you this exactly, but before he died, he told me that the Uruks captured Merry, Pippin, and…" he took a deep breath, "Fred and George."

Harry stared at him numbly. He couldn't fully comprehend the words Aragorn was saying. Boromir was dead, and Fred and George were gone. Slowly, he managed to choke out, "Are they alive?"

"I think so," said Aragorn gently, "Harry, you need to lie down and rest now, you've got an ugly cut on your shoulder there, nothing I can't heal, but…"

"WHO CARES ABOUT ME!" Harry roared suddenly, sitting up and wincing slightly because of the pain. Breathing very fast, he started to pace around. "Two of us are dead," he said, "Four of us are captured, and where are Hermione, Frodo, and Sam!"

"I don't know," said Aragorn, "I have not seen them."

"Oh this is perfect," said Harry, "They could be lying dead somewhere for all we know!"

"I think Hermione would've summoned us with her brooch if she was in trouble," said Aragorn, "And I am sure the other hobbits are fine. For now, let's see what we can do for Boromir."

In the end, all four of them agreed the best thing to do would be to put him in one of the boats and let it sail down the river. Then came the decision of what to do next. Legolas wanted to follow Frodo, Sam, and Hermione, since he saw them entering the woods on the other side. Harry felt he needed to go after Fred and George. Besides, as he and Aragorn explained, Frodo wanted to finish this journey by himself.

"Then it has all been in vain," said Gimli miserably, "The Fellowship has failed."

"Not if we hold true to each other," replied Aragorn, "We will not abandon our friends to torment and death."

"Do you think we can catch up to them?" asked Harry, "They've had quite a head start."

"Yes, we can and will," said Aragorn firmly. He sheathed his sword, turned to the others and said, "Let's hunt some orc!"

Gimli cheered and together they all followed Aragorn into the woods, chasing after the trail the Uruks had left behind.

A new stage of their journey had begun.

A/N: And so ends The Fellowship of the Ring! One down, two to go! But don't worry about Fred and George! If I were you, I'd be more worried about the poor Uruk-Hai… (chuckles evilly)

55 REVIEWS! OMG!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **That would certainly be dramatic, but Hermione's brooch isn't a healing one. And only she can summon people with it, not the other way around. But I have an idea of where she can use it, I know when they're all going to use their gifts, I'm glad you liked them! I love the Gimli/Galadriel thing too, but it didn't exactly fit in with the Hogwarts crew, so I never wrote it in.

**Eclipse: **Actually the orcs never saw Hermione. I thought everyone understood that. I decided to make her go with Frodo instead, because I want her to meet Gollum. I think they'd have an interesting relationship because Hermione is all about compassion and tolerance, and unlike the hobbits, Gollum has no reason to have a grudge with her. We'll see in the next chapter…

**Radszilla: **Ooo, wait 'til you see what the twins do with their gift! It won't be for a while though. I hope you didn't mind that I put Hermione with Frodo and Sam! How'd you know Harry would get Gryffindor's sword? Wow, you're smart!

**Darknesscomes: **Thank you, I shall definitely keep it up!

**Mika: **I'm not offended, I totally understand! I hope I didn't bomb with this chapter! I'm glad you find it believable and makes sense; I have tried my best so far to make it that way! Definitely no super Harry, I never saw him that way, I don't plan to portray as such. Boromir died, yes, I decided to keep that part the same. Sorry if I disappointed you!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **A party! Excellent idea! I don't know how I'd do that though, this is a serious story after all! I guess during the RotK, the party in Rohan will have to suffice.

**Beautystar: **I have absolutely no idea what the Monroe doctrine is. So there, you're not alone! hehe I'll keep posting!

**Genvessel: **Yes! A winner! Awesome! I'm flattered that you would reference to my work in your thesis, thank you for telling me!

**Justx4xfun04: **There! I updated! Did you like it?


	13. Seperate Paths Taken

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 13: Seperate Paths Taken

"Frodo?" panted Hermione, "I don't mean to sound like a pain, but we've been climbing over these sharp rocks for days without stopping. Can we rest?"

"I'm all for that," said Sam.

Frodo would never have admitted it on his own, but he was tired too. "Alright," he said, "We'll stop for a bit."

They had been traveling for days on end, through a maze of rocks, sometimes having to climb up them, and some times using Sam's rope to climb down. One particular foggy day, the three had been climbing down, not knowing where the bottom was, when Frodo slipped and fell. Hermione had cried out in horror, but as it turned out, they were only a few feet above ground anyway.

And so the Quest had continued. Hermione had to admit, it was getting very boring and exhausting right about now. She missed Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, always playing jokes on each other and making the journey more fun. She also missed Harry; she felt like she had dragged him into this in the first place, and now he was all alone, without anyone to guide him. Of course, she realized that Aragorn would take care of him, but she still worried every night about what had become of the rest of the Fellowship since they had rowed away.

Right now, she, Frodo, and Sam were eating _lembas _bread, given to them by Galadriel. Thinking about the elf queen made her absentmindedly put her hand to her brooch. She hadn't used it yet, and hoped she never would find herself in a situation where she would have to.

"Sam, you got rope, but I didn't see what Galadriel gave you Frodo," she said, trying to make conversation.

Frodo pulled something out from around his neck. "She gave me what she called 'the light of Earendiel'," he said, showing her a glass phial with a glowing liquid inside, "It's supposed to give light in dark places."

"Interesting," said Hermione, "May I see it?" Frodo handed it to her, and she began examining it. "What's in here?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he replied, "Some sort of starlight."

"It's beautiful," she said, before handing it back to him.

Sam was staring at Mordor. Even from far away, you could still see its smoke-filled mountains, the fiery sky, the random bursts of lava from the pits of Mount Doom…

Hermione gave an involuntary shudder. Sam was more worried about the current situation however. "Let's face it," he said to the others, "We're lost. I don't think Gandalf meant for us to come this way."

"Well, this is the direction Aragorn was planning on heading in, so it must be right," said Hermione. She decided to consult the little book she'd brought all the way from Rivendell, turning to the back pages containing maps. "Ah yes, here we are, Emyn Muil," she muttered.

"Does it say how to get out?" asked Frodo.

"Unfortunately no," said Hermione, "Let's just keep following the path we're taking."

"We have, and all we end up doing is going in circles," replied Sam.

Hermione sighed, "I wish the rest of the Fellowship were here. Gandalf or Aragorn would know where to go."

"But they're not, so let's just rely on our own instincts for now," said Frodo. Filled with sudden resolve, he picked up his pack and started climbing amongst the rocks. Hermione and Sam followed, Sam eagerly, Hermione not so eagerly. She kept glancing behind them; she had a feeling someone was watching them. And she was right.

A few nights later, the three friends were asleep, huddled together for warmth in the cold unfriendly rocky passage. High above them, a skinny, sneaking creature crept down to their camp, muttering under his breath.

"They're thieves…they're thieves…they're filthy, little thieves! Where is it…where is it… must have the Precious! Curse them…we hates them…it's ours, it is, and we wants it!"

The creature's hands moved towards Frodo's neck, but suddenly all three of them leapt up, taking it by surprise. Hermione was trying to shoot spells at it, but this thing moved with surprising speed and agility. Frodo and Sam were trying to wrestle it to the ground, but it managed to knock over Frodo and tackle Sam, holding him around the neck in a death-like grip. Angrily, Frodo pulled out Sting and brandished it, while Hermione seized the opportunity to cast a Stunning spell, which hit its target. The creature went limp at once.

"What is it?" she asked fearfully.

"Gollum," said Frodo simply.

Hermione stared at it with great curiosity: so this was Gollum! She'd heard all about him, and assumed him to be nothing more than a wretched sort of orc. But he looked more like some demented old house-elf to her, minus the bat-like ears. She found herself pitying the creature without really realizing just what she was doing.

"What should we do with him Mr. Frodo?" asked Sam, getting up hastily.

"I think now would be a good time to use your elven rope Sam," he replied.

"Oh don't hurt it!" Hermione cried out.

The hobbits looked at her in surprise. "Hermione, that thing nearly throttled me!" exclaimed Sam.

"Oh Sam, I don't know if he can help it, he doesn't look like he's in his right mind!"

Sam snorted. "Well _that_ goes without saying," he muttered.

For the time being, Frodo took the rope and fitted it around Gollum's neck like a leash and collar. The next morning the group awoke to wild shrieks of pain. They found Gollum screaming and clawing at the rope on his neck.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Hermione.

_Where do I start?_ thought Sam grimly.

"It burns us!" shrieked Gollum more loudly, "It freezes!"

Sam ignored him and handed out _lembas_ bread to Frodo and Hermione. Frodo ate his, but Hermione chewed absentmindedly as she headed over to Gollum. "Are you alright?" she asked, with nothing but deep concern in her voice.

"It hurts us! Take it off us!" wailed Gollum.

"Alright, calm down," she said soothingly, as she turned to the hobbits, "Frodo, I think the rope's really hurting him. Maybe we'd better take it off!"

"We can't!" interrupted Sam, "We don't have any other rope, and if we let him go he'll throttle us in our sleep!"

"I'll conjure a rope myself if I have to! We can't let him suffer like this!"

"It's no more than he deserves," muttered Sam.

"Maybe he does deserve to die," Frodo murmured back, "But now that I see him, I do pity him."

Gollum was now throwing himself on the ground in agony. Hermione couldn't stand this. She leapt over to pull the rope off of him, but Frodo grabbed her wrist. "Let me talk to him," he said, and made his way over. Sam shook his head and looked away.

Hermione watched as Frodo bargained with Gollum. He knew the way to Mordor, and was promising to take them there if they took the rope off. This seemed fair to Hermione, but Sam wasn't buying it.

"I don't believe you!" he yelled, "You're just trying to trick us!" Gollum squealed and tried to run but Sam jerked the rope sharply and Gollum fell, crying out in pain.

"Sam STOP IT!" shrieked Hermione, "Show a little compassion for once!" With that, she promptly walked over and untied the rope around Gollum's neck. He stared at her with his wide pale eyes, amazed that anyone could find room in their hearts to show him mercy. "Please lead us out of here," she begged quietly. Gollum nodded. Right now, he would've done anything for the kind girl; he was so relieved to have the horrible rope off.

Frodo also approached Gollum, giving a merciful, but firm, air about him. "You will lead us to the Black Gate," he said sternly, and Gollum nodded, in a frightened sort of way. Sam looked away. He had no compassion for the wretched creature, but he had agreed to follow his Master to the end, and that is what he would do.

Hermione, for her part, stayed close to Gollum, sometimes trying to give him a reassuring smile, so he would begin to trust her. Every now and then he would shriek and run off, but he always popped upagain, just when it would look like he had disappeared for good, to Sam's annoyance.

* * *

Harry, Legolas, and Gimli watched as Aragorn ran ahead and lay down with his ear to the ground. "What's he doing?" asked Harry.

"Listening for vibrations," replied Legolas, "to see how fast the Uruks are running."

"Ah," said Harry, trying (and failing spectacularly) to look like he understood.

"Hurry!" Aragorn called down to them, "Their pace has quickened!" The three friends quickly caught up to him.

All four hunters raced across the plains of Rohan, desperate to find Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin before it was too late. They would barely stop to rest; one thought about what the Uruk-hai could be doing to their friends was enough to give Harry that miraculous boost of energy.

He was just wondering when and if they'd ever catch up when Aragorn stopped and bent low over the ground. Harry walked over to him. "What's that?" he asked. In response, the ranger held up what looked like a metal leaf. "Oh, isn't that one of the elven brooches we got in Lothlorien? How d'you think that fell off?"

"Not idly do the Leaves of Lorien fall," said Aragorn.

Harry thought for a minute. "So…you think one of them took it off on purpose? Does this mean they're alive?"

"It's possible," said Aragorn, smiling. He bent over the ground to examine the orc tracks. "Less than a day ahead of us. Come on!"

Harry couldn't help but wait for Gimli, who had fallen behind and had now landed sprawled on the ground after tripping on a hill. "Come on," he said, helping the dwarf, "I think we're catching up to them!"

"I'm wasted on cross-country, we dwarves are natural sprinters!" he growled in reply. Harry stifled a laugh as the dwarf picked himself up and tried to catch up with the other two.

Aragorn was staring out over the plains. "Rohan," he said quietly.

"Hermione told me about this country," said Harry, "Isn't this where people keep horses or something?"

"Well, yes, you could say that," said Aragorn, "They are a rustic sort of people, and they love their horses more than anything."

"But isn't Saruman supposed to be around here?' asked Harry, looking around nervously.

"Not here, no, that's over a day's journey away," said Aragorn, "He lives in Isengard, near Rohan's borders."

"Good thing we don't have to go there," said Harry.

"Well, actually," said Legolas, who had been staring off into the distance, "That's where the Uruks are heading. I can see them turning north-east."

Harry groaned. He was worried sick about his poor friends, wondering what horrible fate they were suffering right now. He needn't have worried…

* * *

The Uruks had tried everything. Absolutely everything. They really had. They had tried threats, whipping, beating, everything. Nothing worked.

It all started right after the Uruk-hai captured Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin. They tied up all four of them and carried the hobbits on their backs. The twins were too big to be carried, but they were just as much a pain on the ground as they would be if they were carried. They did everything in their power to slow down the evil creatures, whether by just randomly stopping, or kicking the Uruk in front of them, or even trying to trip the one next to them. Reprimanding the twins only went so far, if a Uruk hit Fred, George was sure to kick back.

The first afternoon passed this way, and as the sun went down it became clear that the Uruks were not going to stop but continue through the night. Pippin kept twisting around, trying to see if anyone was coming from behind. But no one was there.

"Cheer up Pippin, Aragorn will save us, don't worry," said George.

"He needs to go with Frodo, he won't waste his time worrying about us," replied Pippin.

"If he doesn't, Harry will," said Fred, "I've never seen him willingly leave friends in danger. And you should see him when he's mad!"

"Yeah, but what if he can't catch up?" said Merry, "He'll have to stop and take breaks; he can't run like theses guys can!"

"I wish we could," said Pippin.

Fred got an evil grin on his face. "I dare you to ask the guy up front if we can take a break!"

"He'll knock my head off!" cried Pippin.

"If he was going to kill us, he'd have done it by now," said Fred, "Go on, I dare you!"

Pippin's eyes narrowed. "I want one of your Basic Blaze boxes from the Wildfire Whiz-bangs."

"Deal," said George.

Pippin gulped and then yelled as loud as he could, "Hey, you! Up there!"

Fred, George, and Merry all stifled their laughter as the leader, Ugluk, approached. "What do you want?" he snarled.

"When are we stopping?"

Ugluk roared and slapped Pippin across the face. "Think you're funny do you?"

"Hey you can't do that to my friend!" yelled Fred angrily.

Ugluk simply sneered at him and returned to the front.

"Sorry mate," said George, "You get a Deflagration Deluxe for that one."

"I'm just glad it's over," muttered Pippin.

"Over?" asked Fred, "No my friend, this is just the beginning!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Merry warily.

"We are going to make these bloody Uruk-hai pay!" Fred responded.

"Just how do we plan on doing that?" asked George.

"Quite simple. We are still the most annoying creatures on Earth. By the time we get to wherever we are going, I say our goal is to make sure the Uruks have been driven permanently insane!" cackled Fred.

Merry grinned. "I think we can accomplish that," he said.

"What's the plan of action?" asked Pippin eagerly.

"Hmm," said Fred thoughtfully, "How did we drive Sam crazy on Weathertop?"

"You don't mean…" said George.

"I doubt they'll find that song annoying," said Pippin.

"Pippin my friend," said Fred seriously, "By the time we stopped singing back at the Quidditch World Cup, everyone in the immediate area was begging us to stop. It is the ultimate torture!"

"Are you sure?" asked Merry uncertainly, "I dunno if it'll work. We're talking about Uruk-hai here!"

"Trust me," said Fred, "They're all brawn and no brains. They can handle any physical torment, but psychologically, I'm sure they're weak."

He was right. At first the Uruk-hai tried to ignore them as they started singing, but it is not a Uruk's nature to ignore something that bothers them, and they were becoming very annoyed with "99 Bottle of Beer on the Wall".

Finally Ugluk ordered his troop to halt. He walked up to the four boys, looking as menacing as possible. "You four wanna shut up?" he snarled, brandishing a whip.

"No, not really," said George casually.

Ugluk got in his face. "Oh, you think you're funny do you?"

"Actually, I find myself downright hilarious!"

The other three snorted with laughter.

Ugluk roared. "I am going to tear you all apart if you don't shut up!" he growled.

"Go right ahead," said Fred, "I'll only be sorry that I couldn't see the look on Saruman's face when you have to explain why you killed us."

For the first time they could see a spark of fear in the Uruk captain's eyes. They had a point. He didn't dare mess with the White Wizard's orders. So instead he lashed out his whip in George's direction. "Let that be a lesson for you," he said, "I can't kill you, but I'll punish you whenever I want." He started to walk away.

Pippin felt a surge of anger as he looked at George. He suddenly found himself yelling to Ugluk, "Well, we're not going to stop singing!"

Ugluk turned around. "What did you say to me?" he asked in a dangerous voice.

"You heard him," said Fred, "If you mess with my brother, or any of us for that matter, we'll get even!"

"Oh you will?" sneered Ugluk.

"Yeah," said Merry, getting a sudden idea, "We'll sing '99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall'…" he paused for dramatic effect, "In _elvish_!"

This was such an empty threat, since none of them knew more than a few passing words and phrases in the language. But the Uruks didn't know that. They all immediately shuddered. Ugluk himself froze. "You wouldn't dare," he said quietly.

"Wouldn't we?" asked George, with an evil smile. "_Meeeellllllllllooooooon_!" he said, drawing it out slowly and clearly.

The Uruks shrieked and covered their ears. They couldn't stand the language, the way the Elves couldn't stand the Black Speech. For them, it was like hearing the sound of running your fingernails on a chalkboard. "Stop! Stop it!" cried Ugluk, covering his ears.

"Leave us alone, and we might," said Fred.

"All right, all right, just…don't…use…that…tongue," said Ugluk, shuddering as he returned to the front. As soon as he left, Merry turned to the others.

"Are you alright?" he asked George anxiously.

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding," noted Pippin.

"It's just a cut, I'll be fine."

"Are we going to keep singing?" asked Merry, as the Uruk-hai began running again.

"Of course we are!" cried George, "We're still at 53 bottles! We can't stop now!"

And so it continued, much to the Uruks' annoyance. But there was nothing to be done. As three days passed, Ugluk would occasionally lose his temper, and try to beat the four boys into submission, but more or less the same threats would be exchanged, and in the end, the boys always came out on top. Ugluk's only compensation was the thoughts of what Saruman would do when he got his hands on them. But Isengard was still days away, and in the mean time the roles had been reversed as the mighty Uruk-hai found themselves at the mercy of these four troublemakers. Ugluk inwardly groaned. This was going to be a long trip…

A/N: SO sorry for not updating! I had (and still have) a ton of homework, and then I was away for most of Easter, and I had to work in my spare time on this story. Plus I have to update my other story, seeing as how I haven't done so in months! So I am very sorry.

I can see it now: some of you are going to find the Fred and George area as completely unrealistic. The Uruk-hai are fierce warriors and could easily handle the Fantastic Four, right? Well, I had that irresistible urge to be a little silly, and plus, if the twins can drive the might of the Ministry of Magic insane, I think they can pretty much handle anything!

To those wonderful reviewers of mine:

**Radszilla: **hehe, I know, poor Uruks! Wait'll I get really into the Smeagol/Gollum relationship, I'm already planning the part with Shelob!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Don't feel silly, to tell you the truth, I was actually planning on having her go with Aragorn, when I was suddenly like, "Wait, I want her to meet Gollum!" That's what gave me the idea really. OMG, I love your balloons! I gotta have some of those! (runs off with balloons) YAY! These'll look great in my room! Lol

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Mischievous people rule! I actually never thought about that, the powder was going to used for something else, but maybe I'll change it a bit. They have enough to use it twice I'm sure.

**Eclipse: **He could indeed be anywhere! Where could Ron be? (grins evilly) I know! And I'm not telling! Ok, I'll stop being mean now! Ron is coming, you'll see! And Ginny too!

**MischeviousPuck: **Why thank you! I'll try to keep it up!

**Genvessel: **Huh. I always loved The Two Towers. I think it might be my favorite part. But the Return of the King section should be coming, and that'll be fun!

**Darknesscomes: **Ok, here it is! I hope you enjoyed!

**Lady Cinnibar: **You're welcome, I'm glad you liked it!

**Sperirl: **It's a good idea, but unfortunately I already separated them, and besides, I'm too big of a R/Hr shipper! I was actually thinking of doing some romance with Legolas involving someone else, but I won't do it now. Maybe if I write a sequel where the Fellowship goes to Hogwarts I'll work one in, but not now.

**GCchic128: **Me too! Hp/Lotr stories rule! Let me know if you've read any other good ones that I have yet to discover!

**Tar-Aldarion II: **Hmm, you have a point. But Harry really was scared, I just had him behaving a little recklessly there, he has behaved somewhat similarly in the books sometimes. But I'll try to be more careful.

**LillyandJamesforever: **Gasp! You're right, Denethor is like Fudge, I never thought of that! I'll have to work that into my story somehow. Don't worry, Ron will never replace Pippin, it's just not possible, you'll see what happens! You're right, Faramir does need love, the poor guy. (runs over and hugs Faramir too) Aww, come on everybody, group hug! Hehehe I think I reviewed for your story, but I can't remember. I can't believe English could be your second language, you're so good at it!

**Almadynis: **Thanks!

**Sauron the Destroyer: **I tried my best. Did you like it?


	14. Through Marshes and Forests

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 14: Through Marshes and Forests

"See? See? We've led you out!" said Gollum eagerly, pointing to the end of Emyn Muil.

"Thank you Gollum!" said Hermione.

Gollum stared at her in mild confusion, it had been about 500 years since anyone had last thanked him, and he couldn't really remember how to respond to that. So instead he just bowed and said, "Nice miss," before descending down the path out of the rocks.

Sam did not like the looks of where they were heading. It was very foggy, although they could still see Mt. Doom and Mordor far off. As soon as he took his first step out of the rocks, he immediately felt they'd made a dire mistake.

"It's a bog!" he cried, stepping out of the soft ground, "He's led us into a swamp!"

"Of course, the Dead Marshes," said Hermione, who had just pulled out her book. "Just where Aragorn was going to lead us!"

"Yes miss, yes!" said Gollum, nodding. He led them through a path, babbling about how he had found it, when no one else had, including nearby orcs. Hermione was relieved to hear that.

But after a few days of nothing but walking through the eerily quiet marshes, with swirling white fog surrounding them, the three companions were starting to feel anxious. Gollum would always sit away from them when they stopped to rest, muttering to himself. Sam did not discourage him from this habit, but Hermione was worried about the creature. She felt that if he had a friend, Gollum might open up to them more.

So one afternoon, after Frodo had tried sharing some _lembas_ with Gollum, which he refused, he hated elvish food, Hermione wandered after him.

Gollum saw her coming. "What does the girl want with us precious?" he muttered, "Why does she follow us like this? We isn't bothering her precious, oh no, what does she want with us?"

"I don't want to bother you Gollum," said Hermione, "I just wanted to talk." She approached him cautiously, remembering how Kreacher reacted to her, and tried to make herself look as friendly as possible.

"What does you want to talk to us for, miss?" he asked suspiciously.

"Gollum, I'm not going to hurt you. You don't have to be afraid of me, or the others."

"The fat hobbit hates us!"

"You mean _Sam _hates _you_," corrected Hermione, "If you call Sam fat, he will hate you. But he just needs some time to get used to you, that's all. He won't hurt you anymore, I promise. But why do you always refer to yourself as _us_? You're one person, not two."

Gollum stared at her. He had never considered it before. He had just accepted that he had a dual personality; he never questioned how he got that way. "We has always been that way miss. Ever since we found the Precious."

"You mean the Ring?"

"Yes miss. _Gollum, gollum_," he coughed.

"So that's where he got his name," she murmured to herself. A thought struck her. "What's your real name Gollum?" she asked, "You must've had one before you had the Ring."

Gollum thought for a long time. "We can't remember," he said finally.

"Well, think about it. Don't give up yet!" she said as cheerfully as possible. But then Frodo and Sam came up to them.

"We're ready to leave now," said Sam, glaring at Gollum.

"Sam, _be nice_," hissed Hermione.

Sam sighed. "I'll do my best," he muttered.

Gollum led them on through the Marshes. Within a few hours, Hermione realized how it had gotten its name.

There were dead faces staring up at them in the water. They were the faces of Elves and Men. Hermione caught her breath as she realized: these must've been the people who died in the Last Alliance! She started looking around eagerly for familiar faces, and nearly fell in the water as she leaned in to look at one.

"Careful miss!" called Gollum, pulling her away, "Come quickly. Don't follow the lights." Hermione obeyed, now staring uneasily at the little flames lit all over the Marshes.

Frodo wasn't listening to any of this. Hermione turned around in time to see him walking along a separate path and leaning in. Then he fell in!

Hermione screamed and started running towards him, crying, "Frodo! Frodo!"

Gollum saw one of the few people who'd shown him any in kindness in distress, and decided he had to help. Besides, he'd sworn to help the nicer hobbit who had fallen in. And that's what he did.

Hermione and Sam nearly cried with relief as they saw Gollum drag a gasping, soaked Frodo out of the water. "Don't follow the lights!" he scolded, before hopping back onto the path.

Sam rushed to Frodo's side, while Hermione walked over to Gollum. "That was a noble thing you just did," she said quietly.

"We swore to serve the Master, so we are miss," said Gollum, "That's all." And he continued to hop away.

The next morning Hermione awoke to the sound of wild shrieking. It was so unearthly; it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand. "What is that?" she cried.

"Black Riders!" yelled Sam.

"Hide! Hide!" Gollum was crying, pointing towards some low trees.

Hermione turned and saw Sam helping Frodo, who was moaning in pain and clutching his old shoulder wound. _Oh I wish we'd brought some athelas with us!_ she thought miserably, _That might've helped him!_

Gollum was panicking now, frantically trying to get them all under the trees. A moment later, they saw why.

It was a Ringwraith. But instead of riding horses, this one was on a winged steed. It shrieked again and flew over their hiding place, but did not discover the Ring. Instead it flew back to Mordor.

"Hurry hobbits, miss," said Gollum, "The Black Gate is very close."

_Well, that's very comforting_, thought Hermione fearfully.

* * *

"1 BOTTLE OF BEER ON THE WALL; 1 BOTTLE OF BEEEEEEERRRRRR! YOU TAKE ONE DOWN AND PASS IT AROUND, NO MORE BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL!"

The Uruk-hai couldn't help but cheer. Finally, that annoying song was over!

"Aw, do you hear that guys?" asked Fred, pretending to cry.

"I sure do," said George, "They love our singing!"

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint an eager audience," said Merry, "Let's sing it again!"

"NO!" screamed the Uruks.

Too late.

"99 BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL; 99 BOTTLES OF BEEEEERRRRRR…."

"Halt!" yelled Ugluk. The Uruk-hai slowed. A few orc scouts came out from behind a rock, and for once, the Fearsome Foursome actually stopped singing to see if they could catch what the enemy was planning.

They had now been running for three days since they'd left Amon Hen. There was still no sign that anyone was coming for them, but the friends refused to give up hope. Now they were in a rocky valley somewhere in Rohan, drawing ever closer to Isengard.

The orcs and Ugluk were having a fiery debate. Ugluk made sure that this group, lead by Grimnashk, would obey his orders, and no one else's. The orcs didn't like this at all, and were even trying to hide their amusement at the fact that the mighty Uruk-hai couldn't even control their prisoners.

This was all good news for Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin. And it was about to get better. Ugluk sniffed the air. "What is it? What do you smell?" asked his lieutenant.

"Man-flesh," replied Ugluk, "They've picked up our trail!"

"They've probably _had_ your trail, you morons, and you probably never even realized it," yelled Fred, who was overjoyed to hear the proof of something he'd know all along: Harry & Co. had decided not to abandon them!

Ugluk snarled but didn't dare retaliate in case they started singing in elvish. Instead he urged his troops on. In the confusion, no one noticed as Pippin took his elven brooch in his teeth and broke it off, letting it fall to the ground.

Finally the Uruks decided to take a break that night. They were exhausted, and couldn't keep running forever. So they stopped at the edge of Fangorn Forest and flung the boys on the ground, where they lay, trying to decide what to do.

"This would be the perfect time to escape," muttered Merry.

"How are we supposed to do that? They could turn around at any moment and see us crawling away," whispered Pippin.

"We don't have to cra…" George was interrupted by a low groaning noise. "What's that?" he asked.

"It's the trees," said Merry, trying to sit up and stare at the orcs, who were chopping down trees to make a fire.

"The _what_?" asked Fred.

"The trees," replied Merry, "Folk in the Shire used to say there was something in the woods nearby that made the trees grow tall and come alive!"

"The trees are alive!" asked George.

"What exactly do they do?" gulped Fred.

"I heard they talk and move!" said Merry.

There was an even louder groan now.

"Uh, I don't think they like the orcs here," said Fred.

"_I_ don't like the orcs here," said Pippin, "How're we going to escape?"

"Easy," said George, "Fred and I are experts at escaping. We have a few tricks up our sleeves."

"Like what?" asked Pippin, but he was interrupted at the sound of the Uruk-hai arguing.

"They are not for eating!" shouted Ugluk.

"That can't be good," muttered Fred.

He was right. A pair of orcs seized Merry and Pippin and dragged them over.

"George, quick! We gotta do something!" hissed Fred.

"I'm trying," muttered George. Both twins had learned little tricks of their own, including how to untie yourself from even the tightest knots. Soon they were both free, and George started digging around in his pockets.

"Hurry up!" said Fred, a little louder than was necessary.

"I can't find it!"

"You _what_! You said you knew exactly where it was!"

"Well maybe you have it!"

Fred started frantically searching his own pockets as George watched in horror as one of the orcs, Nareik, pulled out a knife and crept behind the hobbits. "Just a mouthful," he muttered, "A bit off the flank!"

"LOOK OUT!" yelled George.

Ugluk turned around just in time. He roared, swung his sword, and a headless orc fell behind Merry and Pippin.

"Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!" he yelled.

The orcs roared and pushed Merry and Pippin aside. George caught them. "Come on, let's go!" he whispered, herding them towards the forest. They hadn't gotten far when Grimnashk came up from behind and pushed them all down.

"Go on," he snarled, pulling out a knife, "Call for help. No one's gonna save you now!"

"Ah here it is!" called Fred, pulling out a pouch from his pocket. "George? Where'd you go?" Then he saw Grimnashk leaning over his friends. "Time to use a special gift," he muttered, and flung a little of the fire powder Galadriel had given him on the orc.

The explosion was so huge; it knocked over everyone in the campsite. As the Uruks stumbled, trying to get up, an army of theRiders of Rohan seized their chance and galloped into the clearing. Brandishing their swords, yelling fierce war-cries, they rode in and clashed with monsters.

"Fred!" yelled George. Panicking, he realized the battle made him lose sight of his brother. He ran, ducking and dodging the warriors, who took no notice of him. Finally he found his twin rolling around on the ground, dodging the trampling horses.

"Fred! George! Over here!" screamed Pippin. The twins raced after the hobbits into the deep darkness of the forest. Before entering however, Fred looked back. He could've sworn he heard someone call his name in almost confusion and fear. But he shook it off and continued running.

For hours the group headed deeper and deeper in the dark quietness of Fangorn. Finally Merry suggested they take a break. "Let's just rest by this tree," he said. The others agreed and settled down for the night.

"Where are we going to go?" muttered Pippin sleepily.

"I say tomorrow we try leaving the forest and heading in the direction of Harry and Aragorn," replied Fred.

"Sounds good," said Merry.

George yawned and closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, he was rising in the air!

_What the…_he thought, opened his eyes, and screamed.

The tree had picked him up and was staring at him with huge green eyes. George wildly looked around and saw that the tree was holding Merry, Pippin, and Fred too. It stared at them for a long time before growling, "Little orcs!"

"No, I guess you could say we're Men," stuttered Fred.

"Men?" said the tree, looking confused. He held up the hobbits. "You two are too small to be Men."

"We're hobbits!" said Merry.

"Don't talk to the tree Merry," said Pippin, looking like he thought they were all insane.

"Tree? I am no tree! I am an Ent!"

"Whatever. You're a tree," muttered Fred.

"Treebeard some call me," said the Ent.

"That's nice. Now could you put us down?" asked George.

But Treebeard started walking through the forest, growling about how he hated orcs.

"Please," begged Merry, "We're not orcs! We're hobbits!"

"Maybe you are and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know!"

"The White Wizard?" asked Pippin.

"Saruman," whispered Merry.

"Oh great…" groaned Fred.

Suddenly Treebeard dropped the four friends to the ground. Looking up, they saw a figure standing before them, clothed in white. He had a long white beard and seemed to glow as they stared at him in shock.

"No way…" whispered Fred.

A/N: Well that was fast! Did you like it? Sorry there's no Harry in here, the next chapter is all about him. The Two Towers section will run like that sometimes. And btw, the name Nareik for the one orcis not from the books or movies, I stole that one from my brother. Just a little random fact for those who were wondering.

To my reviewers:

**Eclipse: **Hehe, may I borrow one of the flags? Yeah, I loved coming up with the elvish bit, and you're right about the Uruks, though they could be considered the new and improved orcs, they are no match for "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"!

**Genvessel: **Well, I love the Two Towers, and I really don't know why. I guess it's because I love Rohan so much! BTW I borrowed the "Fearsome Foursome" from you because I loved it so much, hope you don't mind! Yup, Hermione's "SPEW instincts" are shining when she's around Gollum, but will she see anything bad about him in RotK, that's the question!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Yeah, that's definitely where Hermione belongs. You're bringing something new? Oh boy, I can't wait for the next party!

**Yanzen Uroloki: **Oops, sorry! lol I had it stuck in my head while writing it, but it's all gone now! Just don't think about it!

**Justx4xfun: **Glad you liked it! I will keep it up as best I can!

**Lanhar: **Yeah, I have no idea where I came up with that! I just love the song and I knew the Uruks would hate it, so I had the twins sing it! Such fun!

**Darknesscomes: **It will be an interesting ending, that much I can tell you!

**Sauron the Destroyer: **Goodie! You loved it! The key word there is "almost". Not sure about the Ent Draught yet, some parts I'm still planning out, and some I know exactly what I'm going to do.


	15. The Return of the Wizards

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 15: The Return of the Wizards

Harry woke up to Legolas' shaking him. "Whassa matter?' he asked sleepily.

"Come," replied the elf, "We have to keep moving!"

Harry got up, and Legolas handed him some _lembas_. "Any sign of the Uruk-hai?"

"No, but I don't like the look of the sky."

"Why? What's wrong with it?" It looked like a beautiful sunrise, with deep red shadows casting over the clouds as the sun came up.

"Whenever a red sun rises, blood has been spilt the night before," explained Legolas.

"Okaaay," said Harry as Legolas walked over to Aragorn and the two started conversing in Elvish.

"I don't understand him either lad," said Gimli.

They had not run far when there was a low rumbling noise. Aragorn looked ahead and saw a troop riding closer and closer towards them. He motioned to the others to hide behind a rock on the hill where they were standing. Sure enough, the Riders of Rohan went past, but did not see them.

Aragorn got up and yelled out to them, "Riders of Rohan! What news from the North!"

The Riders heard and the leader signaled to them. In seconds Harry and the others found themselves surrounded with spears pointed at them from all sides. Their leader spoke first, "What business does an Elf, a Man, a Dwarf, and a boy have in the Riddermark?"

One of the riders nudged his horse forward and it walked up to the captain's side. "Eomer," muttered the soldier, tugging at his sleeve.

"Not now," said the leader, obviously Eomer. He looked at the others harshly. "Speak quickly!"

Harry looked at Aragorn, who started to say something, but was cut off by Gimli, "Give me your name horse-master and I shall give you mine!"

Eomer got off his horse and walked slowly towards them. "Uh-oh," muttered Harry.

Again, the soldier tugged at Eomer's sleeve. "Uh, Eomer?"

"Not _now_!"

"But Eomer…"

"Silence!" Eomer turned, glowering, back to Gimli. "I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground!"

Legolas whipped out his bow in retaliation, but Harry held him back. "Now would not be a good time," he muttered. Legolas nodded and put down his bow.

Aragorn shot Harry a look of gratitude before turning to Eomer. "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn," he said, "This is Gimli son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland Realm, and Harry Potter."

Eomer did a double take. "Harry Potter!" he asked, sounding amazed, "_You're_ Harry Potter?"

"Yes Eomer!" said the soldier, unable to contain himself any longer. "That's what I've been trying to tell you! These guys aren't spies; that's my best friend!" And the soldier stepped off the horse and removed the helmet so Harry could clearly see his face.

"R-Ron?" he stuttered.

"Hey Harry," said Ron, grinning. For it was indeed Ron. He may've grown a little taller since they'd last seen each other, his hair was a little longer, and he had more freckles, but there was no mistaking Harry's best friend.

"How…how've you been?" Harry managed to ask.

"Not too good at the moment. I just got banished along with Eomer here and the other Riders, because we didn't trust this Wormtounge bloke, and we were right, he's working for this guy called Saruman…"

"We know who Saruman is. What's he doing? He's not nearby is he?"

"No," said Eomer, stepping into the conversation, "But he's got spies everywhere…" His voice trailed off as he stared at Legolas, since he had threatened to shoot him in a way. The elf responded with a death glare.

"Eomer, I don't know how many times I have to tell you, they're not spies! I know them!" exclaimed Ron.

"_All _of them?" asked Eomer.

"Well, no, but I trust Harry!"

Eomer looked at them all carefully. He turned to Ron, who nodded encouragingly, and then lifted off his helmet. This was a signal to the other soldiers to put down their spears, which they did.

"So, what've you been up to? Where're Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny?" asked Ron.

"I don't know where Ginny is, I was kind of hoping you did. Hermione's on a little quest that I can't really discuss right now in the open, and Fred and George are, well…" He hesitated, not sure how to give Ron the bad news.

"I'm sorry, but they were captured by Uruk-hai, along with two other companions of ours," said Aragorn.

"WHAT!" thundered Ron. He had gone pale. "But…but that's impossible! We just killed a whole bunch of those bloody monsters last night and I didn't see them anywhere!"

"No one?" asked Harry desperately.

"Did you see two hobbits with them?" asked Gimli.

"What are hobbits?" asked Ron.

"I guess you didn't," said Harry miserably. "They're really small, about up to hear," he said, putting his hand about level with his waist, "And they have furry feet."

"Harry," said Eomer softly, "We left none alive."

"This is impossible!" cried Ron. He was now so white he looked like he was going to be sick. "No…no…it can't be!"

"It's ok mate, you didn't know. It's not your fault," said Harry.

Ron looked at him sadly. "But it is," he said.

* * *

Flashback 

The yells and sounds of battle filled the air. But that was fine, Ron had done this a million times before ever since he had fallen in Rohan and had become a sort of assistant to Eomer. At first he'd had trouble learning to ride a horse, but it was easier to learn there then play Quidditch at home, because at least here he could mess up without everyone laughing at him. He got along great with his horse, a dapple grey called Telien. Together, the two made an almost unbeatable team.

Ron pulled out his sword and began slashing at the Uruk-hai in the darkness. He was very glad to be on horseback, it would be very dangerous on the ground with the stampeding horses and the swinging swords slicing at anything that moved.

Suddenly he heard, or thought he'd heard, a voice crying out, "Fred! George! Over here!"

_Fred? George?_ he thought in shock, _No, it can't be!_ But just in case, he yelled out, "Fred? George?"

No answer. Getting desperate, he continued to scream, "FRED? GEORGE?"

Nothing. Maybe he'd been imagining it. He turned Telien and began fighting again; beheading a huge Uruk that he later found out was the captain of the troop.

End of Flashback

* * *

"So you see, I think I heard them, and I could've done something, but I didn't!" Ron had told Harry everything. "It's all my fault!" 

"No it isn't. You didn't know. It's been months since we last saw you, no wonder you thought you were imagining it!" said Harry, trying to comfort his friend.

"Are you sure you didn't see any bodies?" asked Aragorn.

"No," said Eomer, "We piled the carcasses and burned them." He pointed to a hill in the distance. Smoke was rising from a little black blur.

Eomer let out a sharp whistle. "Hasufel! Arod! Thalion!" Three horses came over, and Eomer gave them to the four companions. Aragorn took Hasufel, Legolas and Gimli would share Arod, and Harry took Thalion. Eomer got on his own horse and prepared to leave. Then he noticed that Ron hadn't budged. "Are you coming with us or staying?" he asked.

"I'll stay," said Ron.

"Alright. I hope to see you soon. Farewell." He raised his hand in salute to his former comrade, and Ron returned it. Then the Riders rode off.

Aragorn glanced as his companions, and their newest member. Together, led by Ron, they rode out to the campsite where the battle had taken place the night before. On the way, Harry explained the whole situation about the Ring to Ron, and Ron told them what had been happening in Rohan before he was banished.

"The king, Théoden, is an ok guy, but lately he's been acting weird. Doesn't look too good either. When I first arrived he looked like he was middle-aged, but now he looks a bit like Dumbledore, ancient, with a long white beard and withered skin. And his eyes are weird too, they're all pale and staring, it was creepy just to look at him!"

"Could he be cursed or something?" asked Harry.

"It's possible I suppose," said Aragorn thoughtfully, "Did he seem to recall anything about his life Ron? I mean would he recognize you if he saw you?"

"No. That was even weirder. His son, my friend Theodred, we found him a few days ago lying half-dead on the river bank. His whole army had been killed by orcs, I think he was the only one who survived, but he was in a bad way, bleeding and unconscious and everything. And King Théoden, he didn't even care. He didn't really seem to realize what was happening, and Eomer tried to explain to him, but his advisor, Grima Wormtounge, told us off and said we were just trying to upset the king. That's when Eomer realized that Wormtounge was a traitor and a spy of Saruman, but when he tried to confront the creepy bloke, he got banished. It was horrible, Wormtounge's thugs came out of nowhere and tackled Eomer and started dragging him out of the city. I took out my sword and started fighting them, but I ended up getting banished too."

There was a silence following his speech, broken only when they reached the site of the battle. Gimli leapt down and started searching the pile. Ron went over to help, but Harry felt like he couldn't do it. He still refused to believe that the twins and hobbits could be dead.

Suddenly Gimli stood up and held up a pouch. "It's got some powder in it," he said softly, "It's the one Lady Galadriel gave to Fred. It has his name on it."

"No!" cried Harry and he rushed over to look at it. But it was true, it was Fred's, it did have his name written on it.

Harry didn't know what to do. He felt like there was a roaring in his ears. _This is all my fault!_ he thought, _It's my fault that they're dead!_ Nearby, he could hear Legolas chanting an Elvish prayer of the dead. Anguish seemed to fill him as he remembered all the fun times he'd had with the four of them, playing Quidditch, the twins giving him the Marauder's Map, setting off Gandalf's fireworks with Merry and Pippin. It seemed incredible to remember that night, long ago, and realize out of all four of those involved in what he called the Firework Fiasco, Gandalf, Merry, Pippin, and himself, only he was left alive.

Aragon seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Harry. He kicked a fallen helmet on the ground and let out an agonized cry, sinking to the ground. Gimli voiced their thoughts, "We failed them."

But the Ranger was now staring curiously at the ground. "Footprints," he muttered, "Two sets are the same size, and two are rather small."

Harry's head jerked up. Where was this headed?

"What's he doing?" hissed Ron.

"He's a ranger and an excellent tracker," explained Legolas, "He can certainly find out a thing or two about last night's events."

Sure enough, Aragorn was following the tracks, now running along here and there. The others followed him, until he stopped at the edge of Fangorn Forest. "They came in here," he said.

"Fangorn," whispered Gimli in fright, "What madness drove them in there?"

"A big scary battle," said Ron. Everyone stared at him. "What? I was just answering his question!"

Harry just laughed and shook his head. "I've missed you mate."

Ron looked extremely puzzled. "Uh, thanks, I missed you too."

Aragorn smiled. "Shall we go on?"

"What!" said Gimli, taking a step backwards.

"What's wrong? It's just a forest!" said Legolas with a slight smirk.

"Easy for you to say! You're an Elf!" said Gimli.

"What! Hang on," said Ron, "You're an _Elf?_"

"Yes," said Legolas, "Why?"

"Well, you sure don't look like one, at least not like one from my world!" said Ron.

"Shut up Ron," muttered Harry, stamping on his friend's foot.

"Why?" asked Legolas, "What's wrong with the elves in your world?"

"They're-OW!" yelped Ron as Harry elbowed him in the ribs. Legolas stared at them expectantly.

"Well, we're not going to leave our friends alone in that forest. We'd better go in and search for them," said Harry, trying to steer the conversation away from such an unsafe topic.

"Excellent idea Harry," said Aragorn. Striding forward, he led them all into the deep dark Forest.

* * *

"I don't like this place," said Ron for the thousandth time. 

"Neither do I," said Gimli, "The sooner we leave the better!"

"For the last time, the trees are not going to hurt you!" said Legolas in an exasperated voice. Then he stiffened and looked straight ahead. He called out to Aragorn and the two started talking in Elvish.

"What are they saying?" asked Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry softly, "But I think someone's coming."

Sure enough, Legolas muttered to Aragorn, "The White Wizard approaches."

"Oh no," groaned Ron, "Not Saruman!"

"We must be quick," Aragorn whispered to them. He pulled out his sword, as did Harry and Ron. Legolas pulled out his bow, and Gimli pulled out his ax.

"NOW!" yelled Aragorn suddenly as a white figure leapt out at them. Legolas fired and Gimli flung his axe, but the wizard easily deflected them and then forced the other three to drop their swords by making them burn. Then he shone a white light in their eyes, blinding them as they stepped back and tried to squint.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two hobbits and boys," he said slowly.

"Where are they?" asked both Harry and Aragorn at the same time. Harry was trying to hide the panic that was rising in his voice, wondering what had befallen his poor friends.

"They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

_No, it bloody well does not!_ thought Ron angrily. "Where are my brothers?" he asked fiercely.

Harry couldn't see the old wizard's face, but he seemed to be studying Ron closely. "You must be Ron Weasley," he said, "I've heard so much about you!"

Ron eyed him warily. "Who told you about me?"

The old man stepped into view and revealed himself at last. "Harry did of course!"

Harry nearly fell over in shock. It couldn't be, just couldn't. He'd seen him fall, months ago, back in Moria. But it was true.

Gandalf was alive, and standing right in front of them.

Aragorn was staring at him, wide-eyed. "It cannot be," he whispered.

Harry was now staring at the wizard in awe. "Gandalf?" he asked in amazement.

"Gandalf?" said Ron, looking extremely confused. "Wasn't he that guy you said fell in Moria?"

Gandalf nodded slowly. "Through fire and water," he said, and then went on to explain how he had fought the Balrog after they landed, all through Moria and eventually to the highest peak of Caradhas. Finally he defeated the evil demon, collapsed and died. But he'd been sent back to finish his task on Middle Earth.

Harry walked up to him, trying to take everything in. "Gandalf?" he asked, "Is it really you?"

"Gandalf?" said the old wizard, looking confused. Then he remembered. "Yes, that's what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name."

"Yeah," said Harry, nodding.

Gandalf smiled suddenly. "I am Gandalf the White."

"The White? What's that mean? Are you more powerful or something?" asked Ron.

"You could say that," replied Gandalf, "I am the White Wizard now."

"So what happens to Saruman?" asked Ron.

"Oh he's still very powerful. Do not be mistaken in thinking that he is automatically defeated now that I have returned. Come. We have much to do."

"Where are we going?" asked Harry.

"Edoras, the home of the king of Rohan," replied Gandalf.

"Edoras!"cried Ron in alarm. "I can't go back there! I was banished!"

"Well, we'll just have to fix that," said Gandalf.

"You don't understand. They'll kill me!"

"They will do no such thing, at least while I'm around. Stop fretting Master Weasley, or we will never accomplish anything!"

"One question," said Harry, "Where are our friends?"

"They are safe with Treebeard," replied Gandalf.

"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend," said Aragorn with a grin, "You still speak in riddles. Who is Treebeard?"

"Treebeard? Oh, he is one of the Ents."

"What's an Ent?" asked Harry.

"Aren't they tree-herders or something?" asked Ron, "They take care of the forest, and they look a lot like trees themselves."

"How do you know so much about Ents?" asked Legolas, looking impressed.

"I heard about them in Edoras. The people of Rohan consider them legends, at least that's what Eowyn told me."

"Who's Eowyn?" asked Harry.

"Eomer's sister. She reminds me a bit of Ginny."

"So what's Treebeard doing with Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin?" asked Harry.

"They are quite safe I assure you. They're coming here will have more of an impact then they can imagine. They are going to rouse the Ents."

"Is that good?" asked Harry.

"I hope so," said Gimli.

"You will see in due time," said Gandalf, "Don't worry about them, they are far safer than you are about to be!"

"Great," said Ron.

Their conversation had carried them all the way out of the forest. Gandalf walked ahead of them and whistled. A beautiful white horse galloped up, along with their other horses they'd left behind before entering Fangorn. The great white horse came up and nuzzled Gandalf affectionately. "Shadowfax," said Gandalf happily, "The lord of all horses. He has been my friend through many dangers."

Everyone mounted their horses, Gimli somewhat reluctantly, he hated horses, and they rode off as fast as they could towards Edoras, to free the king from the spell Saruman had him under.

A/N: MUHAHAHAHA! Now you know. And I'm sure you're all ready to kill me. But I had it planned from the beginning that Ron would be in Rohan. Sorry if any of you are disappointed!

To those dear, faithful, wonderful reviewers of mine:

**Sauron the Destroyer: **Me too! Helm's Deep rules! I can't wait to write it and put it up for you guys!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Well, no. She'll come into play later. I would love to put her and Harry together if I can, and I think I know where to plant the seeds of their relationship!

**Yanzen Uroloki: **Well, Ron has appeared, and Ginny will come along soon! I'll update as soon as I can!

**Joe Schmoe: **Gandalf himself said that you could learn all the ways of hobbits in a month and yet after 100 years they can still surprise you. He may be wise and old and everything, but in order to learn the most about hobbits it'd probabaly be better to hear from a hobbit himself. That's the best explanation I can come up with.

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Don't you mean "cliffhanger"? I hate them too, but I sure love to write them! ;) Good job, it was Ron! Ginny's not in Edoras though. If I can think of any way for Kal to be tempted by the cloak, I'll let you know so you can update your story faster!

**Eclipse: **Nope, not Ginny. You're right, they'd never let her fight, but since when has that stopped a girl like Ginny?

**The Golden Snitch: **I just love "99 Bottles"! And I loved writing that part the best! You've brought up an interesting question about Hogwarts, would you guys like me to write a sequel after this when the Fellowship goes to Hogwarts? Might as well know now so I can plan it!

**darknesscomes: **I'll try not to let you down! What I really want to do is show the impact this will all have on Harry and the choices he will make later in life.


	16. Heading to the Entmoot, Edoras, and the ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 16: Heading to the Entmoot, Edoras, and the Black Gate

"The Black Gate of Mordor!" announced Gollum, as he led them to their final destination.

It was an impressive sight, Hermione had to admit. So impressive that she wondered how they'd ever get in unseen. She wished they had Harry's invisibility cloak.

She suddenly realized that Gollum was referring to himself as Smeagol. "Who's Smeagol?" she asked him.

"That's our name, miss!" he said brightly, "We remembers it now! Master helped us remember!"

"Very good," she said smiling. "Smeagol…I like it!"

"I don't," muttered Sam. He could care less about whatever Gollum referred to himself as. That creature was nothing but trouble and he knew it, even if no one else did. But he decided for the time being to put his mind on other matters. "Look," he said, "We'll never get past that!" He pointed to the Black Gate, which not only blocked the only way into Mordor, but was very well guarded.

Suddenly there was a shout. An army of Men were approaching the Gate. But they weren't like any men Hermione had seen so far. They were wearing a different type of armor, with helmets that practically covered their whole face. Their eyes were line with some sort of black eye liner, and they looked evil. Hermione checked her book and found a group that matched this description. "Easternlings," she muttered.

"Wicked men," said Gollum, nodding.

"Look Mr. Frodo! Hermione! The Gate's opening!" cried Sam. He was right. An orc blew his horn and some trolls began to pull at a mechanism to open the massive wall. The troops began to march in.

"What now?" asked Sam.

"I suppose we could disguise ourselves as soldiers and walk in unnoticed," said Hermione.

"That wouldn't work," replied Sam, "Mr. Frodo and I are too small."

"We could use our elvish cloaks," said Hermione doubtfully.

"I doubt they'll hide us very well in there," said Sam.

"We have to try," said Frodo, "It's the only way."

"You're right," said Sam, as they both nodded.

"Ready?" asked Hermione.

"Wait…now!" said Frodo, but as they started to run, Gollum grabbed the back of Frodo and Hermione's cloaks.

"No!" he squealed, "They catch you! They catch you!"

"It's the only way Smeagol," insisted Hermione.

"No!" said Gollum, shaking his head frantically, "There's another way! A dark way, more secret!"

"There is?" asked Hermione.

"Why haven't you spoken of this before!" asked a very suspicious Sam.

"Because Master did not ask!" he replied.

"He's up to something," Sam declared, but neither Frodo nor Hermione was paying attention.

"Are you saying there's another way into Mordor?" asked Frodo.

"Yes!" said Gollum earnestly. "There's a secret way, up some stairs, and then there's a tunnel…" He paused.

"And?" asked Sam.

"And it leads inside there," he said, pointing to Mordor.

"I guess we could try it," said Hermione, "The more secret, the better."

"No Hermione," said Sam.

"Well, he's led us this far Sam," said Frodo.

"No," was all Sam said. But he knew he'd been beaten.

"Lead the way Smeagol," said Frodo. Gollum nodded and led them away from the Gate, which had just closed.

Hermione could see that Sam was very upset. "Please Sam," she begged, "Give him a chance!"

"I don't trust him, and that's that!"

"Come on Sam!" she cried, "How on earth will we get this done if we're fighting amongst each other?"

"I'm not fighting him, I just don't like him."

"But he's trying to help!"

"He's only helping us because we have the Ring. That's all he cares about."

"Maybe he doesn't. You don't know for sure."

"And you don't know for sure if he can really recover."

"Of course he can! All you have to do is show him love and kindness!"

"He'll just take advantage of your pity!"

"Fine Sam," said Hermione, looking very disappointed, "I can see this is going nowhere. Believe whatever you want, but please don't make life miserable for Smeagol, or he'll never have any chance of recovery!"

And she went to catch up with Frodo and Gollum, leaving Sam to contemplate what she'd said.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" asked Fred.

"No," replied Treebeard, "Don't be hasty!"

"What is that? Your motto or something?" asked George.

"I do not know what a "motto" is."

"It's like the words you live by," explained George.

"I guess you could say that. We Ents do not rush into things. We prefer to be slow. It is better that way, don't you agree?"

"No," said Fred, "I like to rush into things."

"Me too!" said Pippin.

"Then you and I are very different," said Treebeard. Although he would never have admitted it, he was becoming very fond of the boys and thoroughly enjoyed their company. "But it is not that far, to me at least. The Entmoot is only a day or so away."

"What's an Entmoot?" asked Fred.

"It's a gathering of the Ents," replied Treebeard.

"So there are definitely more of you?" asked George.

"Oh yes. Not many, but there are a few of us still left to manage the forests."

"Wish we had some of you around Hogwarts," said George, "You could protect the Forbidden Forest."

"Forbidden?" asked Treebeard, sounding shocked, "Why on earth would it be forbidden?"

"It's too dangerous," said Fred.

"And what is Hogwarts? I have never heard of it before."

"Hogwarts is the school we go to," replied George.

"A school?" asked Treebeard.

"A place to learn stuff," said Fred.

"For children?" asked Treebeard, "Interesting…do you learn much?"

"Well…" Fred wasn't exactly sure how to say that he and his brother hated school and did everything in their power to disrupt everyone's daily schedule. For all he knew this old Ent could think school was the greatest thing in the world. "We're taught a lot." He didn't mention that they hardly listened to what they were being taught.

"That is good. The more you know of the world, the better."

* * *

Farther away, at the city of Edoras, six companions came galloping up on their horses. Led by Gandalf, they all halted to gaze at the town before them before charging onward. At first, Ron wouldn't go any further.

"They'll shoot me down as soon as they see me!" he declared.

"They will not," said Gandalf, "Trust me."

"Come on Ron," said Harry, beckoning him, "We're here to help Théoden. I'm sure he'll lift your sentence once he comes back to his senses."

Ron thought for a moment. "Alright," he grumbled, "But I don't think they should see me yet." He pulled up the hood on his cloak to hide his face.

"Don't, you just look suspicious!" said Harry.

But Gandalf was nodding. "They won't let him in if they know who he is, and a disguise can always come in handy."

The old wizard wasn't completely honest himself. The guards let them pass, but as the got to the Hall of the King, some more guards, led by their captain Hama, barred the way, insisting that they leave their weapons outside.

Harry and Ron surrendered their swords, but kept their wands up their sleeves. Aragorn and Legolas also gave up their weapons, and Gimli (with some regret) gave up his axe. Then Hama turned to Gandalf. "Your staff," he said, indicating that he should put it with the other weapons.

Gandalf pretended to look shocked. "You would not part an old man from his walking stick?"

Harry and Ron glanced at each other, then looked away to hide their laughter. Hama noticed nothing suspicious, and agreed to let them in. Gandalf gave them a tiny wink, and they tried to conceal their grins. Legolas even contributed to the charade by offering to help Gandalf inside. Poor Ron nearly exploded at this.

The door slammed shut behind them. They were in.

* * *

Eventually, the seemingly tireless twins and hobbits fell asleep. Treebeard stopped when night fell, and laid them down on the ground before going off to round up some of the Ents. There the four slept until morning.

Pippin was the first to wake up, followed quickly by Fred. Merry and George woke up around the same time, in time to hear Pippin eagerly talking about a dream he had where they'd all smoked pipe weed until they were sick.

"I had a dream too," said Fred, "We were all sitting in this pub in our world called the Three Broomsticks, and we were all drinking butterbeer!"

"Butterbeer," said Merry longingly, "I haven't had that before, but I heard it's good!"

"You should've had some back in Bree," said George, "We told Butterbur how to make it!"

"I know, but with all that business with Strider and the Ringwraiths, there wasn't time!"

"Well, maybe someday you can try it," said George, "You should come to our world sometime. If we ever get back that is."

"I'd love to see your world," said Pippin, "Aren't you opening up a joke shop?"

"Yeah, thanks to Harry," said Fred, sighing happily. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Sure hope we get back to open it. Our world needs stuff like that!"

Merry suddenly stiffened. There was a groaning noise in the forest. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Yeah," said George, "What d'you reckon it is?"

"I think it's the trees," said Merry.

Another groaning noise came. "Hold on a minute, _that_ noise didn't come from the trees," said Fred. He turned to Pippin. "It came from you."

"No it didn't!"

"Yes it did!" said Fred accusingly, "That was you!"

"No I didn't! I was just stretching!" said Pippin. But no one believed him, especially after another groan escaped his lips.

Merry noticed something else. "You're taller," he said.

"Who?" asked Pippin, glancing around.

"You!"

"Then what?"

"Then me?"

"I've always been taller than you!"

Merry was not about to take this lying down. "Let it go mate," said George, "It's not that important. I mean, I'm older than Fred, but he doesn't care!"

Fred's head snapped in their direction. "No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"Aren't you guys twins?" asked Pippin, looking confused. He didn't notice Merry eyeing the strange pitcher of water in his hands.

"Yeah," said George, "But I was born first!"

"No you weren't! I was!"

"I'm the oldest by 1:05 seconds!" said George.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Merry, give that back!" yelled Pippin. The twins turned to watch. Merry was being chased by his younger cousin, the pitcher in his hand. Apparently he had stolen it and was now gulping as much down as he could.

"Merry, Treebeard said you shouldn't have any!" cried Pippin.

"I want some!" yelled Merry.

"Merry! Give it back!" cried Pippin, tackling him on the roots of a gnarled old tree. Suddenly the roots began to move! They wrapped themselves around Merry and Pippin and began to draw them in.

"Help! Help!" they cried. The twins were at a loss of what to do. The tree began to use its leaves to cover up the hobbits, still screaming. Soon they were totally locked in the tree. Fred and George finally snapped out of it.

"Treebeard! Treebeard! Help!" they screamed, dashing into the woods. Luckily it didn't take them too long to find him.

"What is wrong? Where are the little Shirelings?" he asked.

"The…tree…is…alive!" gasped Fred.

"Oh dear," said Treebeard, "Come. I will set it right." The twins gratefully climbed up onto him and he headed back to their camp.

"Away with you!" he called. "You should not be waking! Eat earth, drink deep! Drink water, go to sleep! Away with you!" The tree released its grip, and the two hobbits sprang out, gasping for breath. "Come, the forest is waking up," said Treebeard, lifting them up onto his topmost branches next to the twins, "It isn't safe here." He continued to take them to the Entmoot.

* * *

Harry glanced around the dark hall of what Gandalf told him was called Meduseld. He noticed that there were men on both sides, following them and watching them closely. He nudged Aragorn to point this out.

"I know," muttered Aragorn, "Stay alert."

Gandalf was greeting the king. Ron had been right; he did look ancient and shriveled. Next to him was a pale man with greasy black hair whispering into his ear. Harry was reminded slightly of Snape.

Ron was gazing uneasily at the setting. The place hadn't changed much since he'd left. But where were Theodred and Eowyn? He hoped they were all right.

Meanwhile Wormtounge was convincing the king that these visitors were not welcome. He was smirking at Gandalf, but after all he'd been through, the wizard was not about to be frightened off by a pathetic man like that, and he made sure they knew it too, by revealing his staff at last. Wormtounge, if possible, got paler. "I told you to take the wizard's staff!" he yelled.

Right on cue, his hired thugs came running out of the shadows to attack. Gandalf continued walking towards Théoden, while the others rushed up to meet their attackers. They were doing very well until two particularly strong men seized Ron and pinned him down. Wormtounge walked over and ripped off the hood.

"Well, well, well," he said, "I thought we'd gotten rid of you Ronald Weasley. I suppose I was wrong. Well, you know what we have to do now." He raised his own sword.

"_Expelliarmus!_" yelled Harry. Wormtounge went flying and crashed into the wall. He slumped to the ground, and Gimli pounced on him.

Meanwhile the two thugs holding Ron heard something behind them. They turned to find Aragorn and Legolas smiling at them…very dangerous smiles.

"Hello," said Legolas. A split second later both men were unconscious.

"You ok mate?" asked Harry as Ron got up.

"Yeah, thanks!"

"Don't mention it."

Gandalf, meanwhile, had raised his staff and was trying to release Théoden from possession. But then the old king laughed: a very Saruman-like laugh.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey."

At this, Gandalf threw off his cloak to reveal his true powers as the White Wizard. Everyone was trying to shield themselves from the bright light as Gandalf began to draw Saruman out.

Harry suddenly noticed a young woman run out to help the king, but Aragorn stopped her, commanding her to wait. She struggled against him.

"Eowyn, relax, he knows what he's doing," said Ron, stepping forward.

The woman stared at him in shock. "Ron!"

"Yeah. Where's Theodred? Is he doing all right?"

Eowyn's face fell, and she looked away. "What's wrong?" asked Ron. But she refused to answer.

Harry attention was suddenly drawn back to Gandalf as he heard a wild yell. The king leapt at him, Gandalf drew his staff, and Théoden fell back. He tilted over, and Aragorn let go of Eowyn so she could catch him as he fell.

And right before their eyes, the old man transformed into a middle-aged man with golden hair and a much shorter beard. His eyes were back to normal, and the wrinkles on his face had smoothened. He was looking around the hall with new eyes, staring in wonder at everyone around him. He turned to Eowyn who was crying. "Eowyn?" he asked.

She nodded, tears running down her face.

Théoden turned to look at the others. "Ron?" he asked.

"Hi," said Ron, "It's nice to have you back."

"It's nice to be back," the king replied, getting up unsteadily. Then he saw a very old friend. "Gandalf?"

"Breath the free air again, my friend," said Gandalf.

The entire hall seemed to be in a state of shock. Wormtounge woke up and tried to run away, but Gimli held him tight. They all watched as Hama handed the king his sword. He held it tentatively at first, then turned and saw Gimli with Wormtounge. His eyes narrowed.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to see this!" said Ron with a grin as the guards tossed Wormtounge down the steps leading to the palace. There the former advisor lay, cringing and begging the king to spare him. Harry was reminded this time of Wormtail.

Théoden raised his sword, intending to kill the man, but Aragorn stopped him. "No my lord! Let him go! Enough blood has been spilt on his account!"

So Théoden lowered his sword. But when Aragorn offered his hand, Wormtounge spat in it and then fled on his black horse. Aragorn made a face of disgust and climbed back up the stairs to join the others.

"There's another thing we have in common," said Harry.

"What's that?" asked Aragorn.

"We both saved the lives of men who don't deserve it."

"Really?" asked Aragorn, looking interested. "Tell me more! I want to hear all about this…"

A/N: To my reviewers:

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Ooo, yes, that'll definitely be amusing! I should seriously have the two elves meet! The story possibilities are endless…

**Darknesscomes: **Good! I hope this chapter didn't either!

**Justx4xfun: **Sorry. My lips are sealed!

**Yanzen Uroloki: **We did get Ron! Isn't it great! Ron rules! And Ginny will be coming in a chapter or two! I'm loving this!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Amazing. When I was first thinking up this story, I'd come up with an incredible plot twist, and I wasn't even aware of it! I'm glad you like it, and please update your own story!

**Genvessel: **Hmm, never heard of Fiction Alley, but I guess I could post it on other fanfiction sites sometime. I tried originally posting it on MuggleNet fanfiction, but they don't accept crossovers! Sigh. Thanks for reading and reviewing; I really appreciate it!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **I think I know how I can bring Harry and Ginny together, but it will mostly be hints since they still need to get together in the series. I love the idea of putting them together too!

**dragonruler: **Thank you! Yes, I'll definitely write a sequel if that's what you want, I've been getting it all planned out! It's going to be SO exciting:)


	17. Debates and Decisions

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I find this all highly ironic that the chapter with Theodred's funeral is being posted on the day of Pope John Paul II's funeral. So I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the pope, Terri Schiavo, and anyone else who's lost a loved one recently.

Chapter 17: Debates and Decisions

After the whole scene with Wormtounge, Théoden noticed that his son was missing from the crowd. Eowyn finally managed to tearfully explain that Theodred had died that morning. Ron was horrified to learn that one of his good friends was dead.

Harry found his best friend sitting by Theodred's bed with his head bowed. He walked over to sit next to him. "It's ok, mate," he said softly.

Ron turned to look at him. Harry had never seen him look this upset before. "You don't understand," he croaked, "That guy was one of the best friends I ever had here. He sometimes reminded me of you Harry, he, Eomer, and Eowyn were like the siblings I never had." Catching the look on Harry's face, he added, "It's ok, they'll never replace you. I just feel like he died after I left, and I could've done something, but I didn't, and now it's too late." He stared sadly at Theodred's body.

"There was nothing you could do," said Harry, "Eowyn told me that he wasn't doing too good anyway. You're not a Healer, so don't blame yourself for what's happened."

"What's this?" asked Gimli, walking into the room. Legolas followed right behind. "Who's being blamed for what?"

"Ron's upset because he wishes he had been here to help Theodred," explained Harry, "I told him it's not his fault."

Gimli's normally tough expression softened, and he walked over to where Ron was sitting.

"I'm sorry lad," he said quietly, "I know how you feel. When we first came to Moria, and I found out my cousin Balin was dead, I was so angry and upset, I felt like I should've done something, and all I could think of was revenge!"

"But you can't do that," added Legolas softly, "Sometimes you need to put your feelings aside and move on. There can be more important things in life."

Ron turned to them, looking furious. "What could possibly be more important then your friend dying?"

"Many people are dying," replied Legolas, "But if we don't stand together and instead choose to mourn the past, the world as we know it is doomed."

"We'll still mourn for him and everything," said Harry, trying desperately to cheer up his friend, "But then we have to focus on other things. I don't think Theodred would want you to be miserable right now."

Ron stood up. He looked down at the body of his friend, sighed, and then turned to face the others. "You're right guys," he muttered, "Thanks."

"Hey we'll always be there for you mate," said Harry. Legolas and Gimli nodded.

At that moment some men dressed in dark robes entered. One of them looked sadly at Ron and said, "I'm sorry my lord, but we need to make the final preparations…" He gestured to Theodred's body, indicating that it was almost time to bury him.

"Yeah ok," said Ron. He stepped aside and stood by the wall, looking everywhere but at the men. When they left so did he.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" asked Harry anxiously.

"He'll be fine; he's only grieving," said Gimli.

"I've never seen him act that way before," insisted Harry.

"If this is his first experience with death, then it'll be hard for him, but he'll be alright in the end," said Legolas.

"Where are Aragorn and Gandalf?"

"They are comforting Théoden," said Legolas simply.

Gimli stuck his head outside the door. "It looks like they are almost ready," he said, "Shall we go?"

"Yeah," said Harry, "I'd better go find Ron."

"Don't put pressure on him," said Gimli warningly.

"I won't."

* * *

Hermione watched with some amusement as Gollum launched himself into a nearby stream, trying to catch a fish. He thrashed around in the shallow water, but seemed to be having no luck at all.

"Hey stinker, don't go getting too far ahead!" yelled Sam.

Hermione rolled her eyes and caught up with Gollum. "Just ignore him," she muttered.

"What's that miss?" asked Gollum. He was crouching in the water in a catlike position, hunting for the fish. Suddenly he wailed in despair. "No! You made us lose it! It's gone precious, gone!"

"Sorry Sméagol," replied Hermione, "Here…" She waved her wand and muttered, "_Accio_!" The fish came shooting out of the water and into her hand. Hermione squealed and dropped the cold slimy thing, and Gollum pounced.

"Thanks miss!" he said, smiling with his prize in his teeth. Hermione smiled weakly back, but in reality she felt like she was going to be sick.

Then Gollum realized what she had done. "You made the fish fly miss!" he squealed excitedly, "How does you do that?"

"I'm a witch Sméagol," she said, "I can do magic!"

"Magic? How? How? Show us more miss!" he said eagerly.

"All right," she said, laughing at the expression of ecstasy on his face. "Well, if we wanted to start a fire, all we'd have to do is this!" She pointed her wand at an old log near the bank of the stream and said, "_Incendio_!" The log burst into flames.

Gollum clapped his hands with delight. "Show us more! Show us more!"

Sam and Frodo, who were having a heated debate, smelled smoke and turned around. "I guess we might as well stop here for the night," said Frodo, looking at the fire that was well under way and would be perfect to usefor cooking.

"Of course Mr. Frodo," said Sam, eager to patch things up. He hated arguing with his master, but sometimes it had to be done.

The hobbit walked over to where Gollum was begging Hermione to show him more magic. "Hey, don't go bothering Miss Hermione now," he said, glaring at the creature. Gollum hung his head.

"That's quite all right," said Hermione, "I don't mind."

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head as Hermione continued showing Gollum some various simple spells. On the one hand, he wondered if he should just give in and show some more sympathy for the creature. He was feeling slightly left out of the group because of his hatred for Gollum. On the other hand, he didn't trust him one bit, and wished more and more that Frodo and Hermione would be more cautious.

* * *

The funeral for Theodred was one of the hardest things Harry had ever witnessed so far. To him, it was like going through having to face Cedric's friends and family all over again. At least this time there was a small improvement: he didn't see any reason to blame himself for the young man's death. With a jolt he suddenly realized what Ron must be going through.

The kings and royalty of Rohan were buried in grave mounds outside of Edoras. Villagers dressed in black robes lined themselves outside their homes in the streets to watch the funeral procession go by. At the head were men carrying Theodred's body, Ron among them. Right behind them was King Théoden, and then Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Harry. Behind them were the king's guard, and then the villagers began to follow outside.

By the mound Harry could see Eowyn. She had tears in her eyes, and she had begun to sing a hauntingly beautiful song. Harry could not tell what it meant, but he knew it was in the Rohirric language.

As he watched the body going into the grave, a painful feeling shot through Harry. _Everyone I know is dying,_ he thought, _My parents, Cedric, Gandalf (even though he came back), Boromir, all the people Voldemort killed, and now Ron's friend…_ A wave of panic shot through him. How long was this going to last? How many people were going to keep dying? Who was to say he wouldn't be next? All of the sudden he felt a crazy desire to run as fast as he could away from here; go anywhere; do anything, just to get away from this depressing place.

And then it was over. They slid the stone door shut and everyone returned to their homes, everyone except Théoden and Gandalf, who remained by the tomb. Harry trudged wearily up the path to the palace, weighed down by the heavy feeling of despair.

"Harry?"

Harry turned around. It was Aragorn.

"Are you alright?" he asked his young friend with concern.

"I'm fine," said Harry, turning away.

"No you're not. I want you to stop hiding your feelings and tell me what's wrong. I'm your friend, and I want to help you!"

Harry stopped walking. "Ok," he said, "You win." Then he poured out his feelings, especially what he'd been thinking about during the funeral. The ranger listened sympathetically.

"I know how you're feeling Harry," he said, "I've seen a lot more people die in war then I've ever cared for, and it's always hard to watch. You've been very brave to handle all this at such a young age, and I must say that I'm proud to know you."

Harry tried to smile, but it was difficult. "Everyone acts that way around me," he said, "They treat me like a hero. But I don't deserve it!"

"Don't deserve it?" asked Aragorn, sounding shocked. "Of course you deserve it! Anyone who's faced evil the way you have deserves some honor and recognition!"

"Yeah," said Harry, "But the problem is that whenever I get attention, I don't want it, and then when no one pays attention to me, I miss it!"

Aragorn grinned. "You remind me of myself when I was younger," he said, "It is quite a problem, but trust me, you grow out of it! Either that or you'd die of stress!"

"I'll take the first option," said Harry. They looked at each other, and suddenly burst out laughing; neither one of them could help it.

"Come on," said Aragorn, "We'd better go inside." So they did.

* * *

Gollum was arguing with himself again. This was not unusual, for him at least, it was just one of the things that came with having a dual personality. But he always did it when the others were asleep. He didn't want them to hear what he was saying.

Right now the current debate topic was whether to kill the hobbits and Hermione in order to get the Ring, or not. Only this time, it seemed like the Sméagol side was winning for a change.

"Master's my friend," Sméagol was insisting.

"You don't have any friends! Nobody likes you!" said Gollum.

"Yes we does! Miss likes us precious!"

"No she doesn't. She's tricksy. She'll use her magic to hurt you!"

"No she won't. Miss is nice."

"None of them are nice! They lie! They want to steal the Precious from us!"

"Miss never touched the Precious. Miss doesn't want it. Baggins stole it!"

"Then kill the Baggins!"

"No. We swore to serve the Master. Master is nice. And Miss wouldn't like it!"

"Miss is nothing! Miss will trick you, just like the Baggins!"

"No."

"Yes they will you murderer!"

He had gone too far. Sméagol refused to look back on that particular dark spot of his past: killing one of his best friends as they fought over the Ring they'd just discovered. "No! No!" he cried, shaking his head, "Go away! I hate you! I hate you!"

Gollum sneered at him, "Where would you be without me? I saved us. It was me. We survived because of me!"

But the Sméagol side had begun to pull free. "Not anymore," he said, "Master looks after us now. Miss protects us with her magic. We don't need you! Leave now and never come back!"

Gollum snarled, but Sméagol began to get more and more excited, all the while crying out, "Leave now and never come back!"

And then there was silence. Gollum, aka Sméagol, could no longer hear the dark side of him whispering all sorts of evil thoughts and ideas. He was free. Joyfully, he began to dance around, squealing, "Sméagol's free!"

* * *

Over in Edoras, a new problem had arisen. Gandalf and Théoden had found two children who had ridden all the way from their burning village to warn the king that wild men were attacking. Eowyn was taking care of them now, while the men held a little war council.

Gandalf felt that Rohan should ride out and fight the armies of Saruman, in order to draw him away from the women and children before they caused anymore damage. But Théoden was not keen on further deaths, and wanted to stay out of it.

Harry lost his temper. "Your son just died fighting Saruman's Uruk-hai, and you want to avoid this! War's inevitable. The sooner you send out armies, the sooner we can end this!"

Théoden glanced at him coldly. "I will not be spoken to like that," he said.

_Then you don't know Harry_, thought Ron. Out loud he said, "Why don't we find Eomer? He'd be glad to help."

"He will be threehundred leagues from here by now," said Théoden.

"That's ok. I'd be happy to look for him!"

"Thank you for your offer Ron, but it would take too long," said the king.

"Then what is the king's decision?" asked Gandalf. He disagreed with Théoden, but unlike Wormtounge, he believed his role as an advisor should be to do just that: advise. He would not force anyone to do anything they didn't want to do.

"We will go to Helm's Deep," said Théoden.

"What's that?" asked Harry.

"One of the great fortresses of Rohan," said Aragorn.

"It's by the Misty Mountains," said Ron.

"Mountains?" asked Gimli eagerly. He loved that type of atmosphere. Legolas on the other hand, groaned. He preferred the wooded areas of the world.

"Now, now, Legolas," said Ron with a grin, "The mountains are not going to hurt you!" He said this remembering the little episode in Fangorn.

"Shut up Ron," replied Legolas, but he was trying not to smile.

"Get to bed, all of you," said Gandalf, "We shall have a very busy day tomorrow."

* * *

Hermione woke up to the sounds of Gollum's laughter and squeals of delight. She opened her eyes in time to see him proudly drop some rabbits on Frodo's lap. He had obviously just hunted them. Despite all her beliefs about Gollum changing from his evil ways, she was startled by him performing this kind act of finding them some breakfast.

But now he was still performing some of his old habits, like eating meat raw. Both Frodo and Hermione tried to hide looks of disgust. But as always, Sam was impatient. "You'll make him sick, you will, behaving like that!" he yelled. Gollum backed away. "There's only one way to eat a brice of Coneys!"

Hermione watched in amusement as Sam took out his cooking pots and got ready to start a fire. "Fine Sam," she murmured, "You teach him cooking and manners, and I'll teach him love and compassion!"

"It's not funny Miss Hermione," he said, "Could you light that for me?"

"Sure," she said, "_Incendio_!"

Gollum's squeals of amazement at the sight of the magic turned to cries of horror as Sam began to cook the rabbits. "What's it doing?" he cried, "Stupid fat hobbit! It ruins it!"

"Sméagol, what did I tell you?" asked Hermione in a warning voice.

"Sorry, sorry, nice hobbit," said Gollum to Sam. Sam couldn't help feeling slightly touched by his apology. "But what is it doing?" wailed Gollum.

"We're cooking it," said Hermione, "It's not healthy to eat the meat raw, and besides, it tastes really good!"

"We always eat meat raw, miss!" said Gollum disbelievingly, "_That's_ good!"

"You're hopeless," muttered Sam. Then he noticed someone was missing. "Mr. Frodo?" he called out. But there was no answer.

* * *

It was the next morning in Edoras, and everyone was bustling around preparing to leave. Hama was walking around, shouting orders. Harry, Ron, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli marched behind Gandalf to the stables. Inside they all went over to their horses to start saddling them up. Gandalf went straight to the back where Shadowfax was kept, and he and Aragorn began discussing the fate of Rohan.

Ron walked over to Telien. "Ready for a long ride?" he asked. Telien nuzzled him in answer.

"He likes you," said Legolas, "Where'd you get him?"

"Eomer gave him to me," replied Ron, "We got along great and he didn't belong to anyone else, so I got to keep him. It was almost like he was meant to be mine."

"I wouldn't be surprised if that were true. After all, Arod and I get along great together too."

"I don't," grumbled Gimli, "I hate that horse. I hate riding!"

"No you don't. You like it but you won't admit it," said Legolas.

"I hate it! It's the most uncomfortable way of traveling imaginable! Who came up with it, that's what I'd like to know!"

"Well, you can't deny that it's faster than walking, although we wizards have much better ways of traveling," said Ron.

"Portkeys and Floo Powder are better? You've got to be kidding me!" said Harry.

"Well they are faster!"

"They make me feel nauseous!"

"What are Portkeys and Floo Powder?" asked Legolas.

"Magical methods of traveling," said Harry, "You throw Floo Powder into a fireplace and then you step into the fire and yell your destination and it takes you there. A Portkey is a magical object that you touch at a specific time and it takes you to a certain location."

Legolas and Gimli were stunned. "You go to places that way?" asked Gimli, "How long does it take?"

"Usually seconds," replied Harry, "Useful, but like I said before, it can be so fast it makes me feel sick!"

"I believe you," said Legolas.

At that moment Gandalf came galloping past on Shadowfax. He raced through the doors and out of sight. "Where's he going?" asked Ron.

"He's on a mission," replied Aragorn.

"Now? When we need him the most? Is he crazy?" asked Ron in disbelief.

"Trust Gandalf," said Aragorn, "He knows what he's doing!"

Meanwhile the other men had come in and were saddling up their own horses. Aragorn watched with interest as they tried to calm one of the darker ones, which was rearing and neighing wildly. The ranger approached him cautiously.

"That's Brego," said Ron, "He's crazy. You'd better keep back and let these guys deal with him."

Aragorn ignored him and started speaking gently in Rohirric to the wild horse. Eventually it began to calm down, and began to nuzzle Aragorn.

Ron watched with amazement. "Wow," he said, "No one but Theodred's been able to do that before!"

"Why? What's wrong with Brego?" asked Harry.

"He's been in too many battles, the last I heard. He's seen too much of war, and I guess he just gets frightened whenever people try to ride him because he thinks they're taking him into battle again."

"He'll have to go into battle if he wants to stay with Aragorn," said Harry, as he watched Eowyn go over and talk to the ranger while Brego stuck close to them.

Eowyn left and Aragorn watched her go. He looked deep in thought. Legolas walked up to him. "It's kind of interesting," he said, "You do realize what Brego's name means?"

Aragorn did not look happy. "Yes," he said, "Don't start this again!"

"Why? What's it mean?" asked Harry.

"Brego was one of the kings of Rohan," said Aragorn.

"Oh…" said Harry, catching on, "And you're the king of Gondor! That's ironic!"

"You _are_?" asked Ron, "Blimey, why didn't you say so?"

"I don't think I can do it," muttered Aragorn.

"Yes you can! You're a great leader!" said Ron.

"We'll see what happens," said Aragorn. He looked embarrassed.

"Does my horse's name have a meaning?" asked Harry, trying to change the subject.

"Oh yes," said Legolas with a grin, "It's an elvish term. And it's rather ironic for you too!"

"Why?" asked Harry.

"It means "hero"," said Legolas.

Harry blanched. "Oh no," he said, stepping back, "I've had enough save-the-world adventures to last me a lifetime! I am not in the mood to do it again!"

"You're doing it right now by helping us," Legolas pointed out.

"Well, yeah," said Harry, "But that doesn't make it anymore appealing!"

"I hear you mate," said Ron, "I hear you!"

* * *

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam continued to call.

"Where could he be?" asked Hermione anxiously.

"Over here!" cried Gollum, waving them over. He and Frodo sat crouched down in the grass, watching an army march past. Hermione and Sam got down to watch.

"Not more Easternlings," muttered Hermione.

"Yes," said Gollum, "The Dark One is gathering all armies to him."

"Look!" cried Sam, "An oliphaunt!"

A giant elephant-like creature was lumbering along with Easternlings riding on its back. It had huge tusks armed with barbs sticking out of it. Frodo and Sam gaped at it with awe. Hermione was amazed too, but unlike the hobbits, she'd seen things closer to that size at home when her parents would take her to the zoo.

"No one at home will believe this," said Sam. Then, out of nowhere, arrows came shooting out to attack the army. The oliphaunt bellowed in pain and began to run around, thrashing wildly.

"We'd better get out of the way," said Hermione, and she turned around to run away. What she ended up doing was smacking into the man behind her. She screamed and tried to run by the man grabbed her and held her tightly.

Sam and Frodo turned around to fight, but Gollum had slunk off a while ago and was nowhere to be seen. The hobbits drew their swords but some other men came and pinned them down.

"Wait," begged Hermione, "We don't want to hurt you! We're friends!"

"Friends?" said a voice doubtfully. A man dressed in green came out to face them. Hermione thought he looked a bit like Robin Hood. "We have no friends that we can trust in these dark times."

"We are bound to an errand of secrecy," said Frodo, as fiercely as possible. "Those who claim to oppose the Enemy would do well not to hinder us!"

In her panic, at first Hermione wondered why they didn't just simply tell these men what they were doing, but then she remembered how secret the Quest was and that they couldn't trust these men. They certainly didn't trust her. Their leader ordered his troops to bind them and bring them to their camp. Hermione was terrified. How would they get themselves out of this mess?

To my reviewers:

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **I know Sam never fell. I came up with another idea of where to use the elvish cloak trick. The reason I leave some stuff out is mostly because it either does not technically concern the HP crew, or I don't think it will affect Harry in anyway. My main focus is how this will all affect Harry. Now I know how screenwriters feel when they are trying to adapt a book into a movie! I loved that fight too; I wanted them to argue about something, and I figured they're already exactly the same height so I might as well do the old "Who was born first?" argument!

**Eclipse: **Well, good news! Not only did I update, but Ginny is coming soon! Not sure when, but eventually she'll come!

**Darknesscomes: **Good. Thank you!

**Sauron the Destroyer: **And I can't wait to write it! I've already got things like the beginning, Christmas, and the end all planned out! Fun, fun, FUN!

**Eleniel of the Stars: **Glad you liked it!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Ok, just as long as you do update, I understand, because with school and everything, I'm pretty busy myself. And my computer's being stupid too, so I know how it feels! Sorry, but I'm a big Faramir/Eowyn shipper, as well as a big Ron/Hermione shipper, so I just couldn't write that! On a happier note, I am using your idea of making Ron, Legolas, and Gimli close friends. That'll really start to pick up once we get to Helm's Deep!

**LillyandJamesforever: **Uh-oh! You sound like some of my friends! Except that they never cut to do important things like write fanfiction! Hehe Anyway, I am, most unfortunately, using movie Faramir (ignores groans from people who hated that change). But I have a VERY good reason: It makes the story more dramatic! Ok, ok, that's not a very good reason, but I think it'll all work out the way I've planned it!

**The Golden Snitch: **Oh good! I love making people laugh! Unfortunately this chapter was a little sad with the deaths and everything, but there should be some more light-hearted moments coming up!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **Yeah he does know the king personally, he's really the inside link to all the important people in Rohan, which is of course very useful for our heroes!

**Beautystar: **Yeah I know, I did that on purpose with the horse, I'm so evil! She does have a horse, but he was really a red herring! Don't be scared, she's fine! I'm glad you all want me to write a sequel, it makes me feel loved!

**Genvessel: **I feel like such an idiot. Right after I wrote that I remembered that I did know what FictionAlley was! I'm not a member, but maybe I'll join.

**Drusilla: **I like their relationship too, that's why I wrote it! I put some more into this chapter as well. Harry definitely needs a father figure in his life, since they keep on dying! (Poor thing.)

**Sperirl: **I shall continue! I love writing fanfiction!


	18. Girl Talk

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: For those of you who actually read other people's reviews and my responses to them, I changed my mind about Faramir. I was originally going to make him like he is in the movie, but then I realized that although I haven't finished reading the book series personally, I prefer the book Faramir too. On the other hand I had this all planned out with the movie version, and I did not want to have to go back to the drawing board. The result? I compromised, meaning that he starts out movie, then goes to book, then goes to movie, then goes back to book and stays book 'til the Return of the King, where I believe his character is back to canon. (At least, I think like the book. He treats Hermione and the hobbits decently, until we get onto the subject of a certain ring…but I've fixed it all, don't worry. It has to happen this way.) So enjoy what I've written, and hopefully you'll accept it!

Chapter 18: Girl Talk

The ranger-like troops that had found Hermione, Frodo, and Sam had them blindfolded and led them through the woods of Ithilien, where their headquarters was located. Hermione was desperately trying to think up a lie, any excuse; that might convince the men to let them go, without actually telling them about the Quest. So far she hadn't come up with anything plausible. If only she could see her surroundings, she might get a better idea of what type of story they would buy.

Hermione eventually did feel herself walking on a smooth stone floor, and judging from the sounds around her, she thought they were probably in some sort of cave. The rangers sat her down with the hobbits and they awaited their fate. Hermione found herself straining to here a conversation nearby between the leader, whose name was Faramir, and someone else.

"Who are they Faramir?"

"Spies I think. They would not give me their names, or tell me where they were going."

"Do you think they work for the Enemy?"

"They claim to be friends."

"Since when has Gondor had any friends it could trust?"

_So_, thought Hermione, _We're somewhere in Gondor. I wonder where._ She guessed they were in the forest of Ithilien, which was near the cities of Osgiliath and Minas Tirith.

"I'm not sure where they are from. I shall speak with them now."

Faramir ordered some men to untie the companions, and he sat in front of them. He had just opened his mouth to say something when a wild shriek echoed throughout the room.

"HERMIONE!"

The next thing Hermione knew, a small, red-headed shape had come dashing forward and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "G-Ginny?" she gasped.

"Yes!" cried Ginny happily, "Oh I'm so relieved to see a familiar face at last!"

Faramir was sitting there with his mouth hanging open. "Ginny?" he said in shock, "You _know_ them?"

"Of course I do Faramir!"

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't recognize her. How could I, you had their faces covered!"

"Oh," said Faramir, "Right."

"Where have you been?" asked Ginny eagerly, "Who are these boys?"

"This is Frodo and Sam," said Hermione, "We've had a lot of adventures, and I found Harry, Fred, and George, but…"

"You found them? Oh that's wonderful, where are they? Have you seen Ron?"

"No," said Hermione, "I haven't." She paused, wondering how to continue. It had suddenly occurred to her that these men were from Gondor, like Boromir. What if they reacted to the Ring the way he had? She had not forgotten the little incidents at Rivendell and Caradhas, and Frodo had told both her and Sam what happened at Amon Hen. It would be best to keep the Quest secret, even now. She could explain everything to Ginny later.

"So," said Faramir, "Will you tell us now where you were headed?"

"Yes," said Ginny, "What have you been doing? Where are the others?"

"Well," said Hermione, choosing her words very carefully, "We were headed for…Rohan."

"Rohan?" said Faramir, raising his eyebrows, "That is not the way to Rohan."

"Yes, well, we started out from Rivendell with ten other companions: Harry, Fred, and George obviously, and then Gandalf the Grey, you've heard of him?"

"I have," said Faramir, "Continue."

"And there was also Frodo's cousins: Merry and Pippin, and Legolas the Elf, and Gimli the Dwarf, and two Men, Aragorn and Boromir."

Both Faramir and Ginny's eyes widened. "Do you know Boromir?" asked Hermione.

"Yes," said Faramir slowly, "He was my brother."

_Was_! thought Hermione. That didn't sound good. In her mind she was back at Amon Hen, remembering the huge fierce Uruk-hai. Had they…was he…? _No!_ she thought. As if to confirm her fears, Hermione's eyes traveled through the room, until they rested on a barrel not too far away. On it was a horribly familiar object. Boromir's horn…split in half. _Oh no!_ thought Hermione.

Faramir was watching them closely. "You were a friend of his?" he asked.

Frodo was looking uncomfortable, but it wouldn't be a good idea to go into the details of how they had parted. "Yes," he said slowly.

Faramir sighed heavily, and Ginny put a comforting arm on his shoulder. "It will grieve you then, to learn that he is dead," he said.

"Well, yes," said Hermione, hoping that Frodo and Sam would be able to cover up their looks of shock and suddengrief. "That's why we were traveling in your land. We separated from the rest of the group because we want to come to Minas Tirith to deliver the news."

"We're really sorry Mr. Faramir," said Sam, who had recovered nicely.

"What happened?" asked Ginny.

"Uruk-hai," explained Hermione, "We were attacked at our camp along the Anduin."

Faramir nodded. "That explains how I found him in the boat. It floated past on the river."

"Yes, well, we didn't have anyway of properly burying him, so we decided to do that." Hermione was amazing herself with her own cleverness when it came to lying. She had never noticed it before, but it was undoubtedly very useful.

"So…will you stay with us for a little while then?" asked Ginny.

"I guess so, if you don't mind?" replied Hermione.

"Of course we don't," said Faramir, "I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot. I just didn't know who you were, and it's dangerous to trust strangers in these times."

"Oh we know," said Hermione.

"Come on," said Ginny excitedly, standing up and pulling at her friend's arm. "I'll show you where you can stay, and you can tell me what else has been happening to you!"

"Thanks Ginny," said Hermione with a smile.

Together all four of them walked through the twisting passageways of the cave. "Where is this place?" asked Hermione, "I've never read about it before!"

"I'd be surprised if you had. This is Henneth Annun, the Window on the West. It's kind of a secret headquarters for Faramir's troops," said Ginny.

"Are you a soldier?" asked Sam in shock.

"No," answered Ginny with a scowl, "Faramir won't let me. He thinks it's too dangerous for me. I told him I can fight, but he won't listen!"

"Did you know Boromir well?" asked Frodo.

"Not really. I met him the day he left for Rivendell. See, when I landed in Middle-Earth, I landed somewhere in Anduin, in some rapids, and I was trying to swim, but the current was too strong, and I got carried over the Falls of Rauros."

Hermione gasped in horror. "Were you alright?"

"Of course I was; I wouldn't be standing here if I wasn't!"

"Well, how did you survive?"

"Well, it kind of knocked me out, but luckily I managed to climb up onto a log before I passed out. When I woke up, I was floating past Osgiliath, a fortress on the river. I swam to shore, but I was so exhausted I passed out again, and that's where Boromir found me. He was on his way to Rivendell, but he saw me and rode back to Osgiliath. I've been living here with Faramir ever since."

"Have you been in Minas Tirith?" asked Hermione.

"Oh yes, and it's beautiful!"

"Who runs the place?" asked Sam, "I thought Aragorn was the king, but I guess someone has to be in charge, right? I heard Boromir mention something about stewards once, but I wasn't sure quite what that meant."

"Oh, _Denethor_," said Ginny, making a face.

"Who's Denethor?" asked Hermione.

"Boromir and Faramir's father. He's the Steward Sam. The Steward basically takes care of the throne while the king is away. Of course, there hasn't been a real king in centuries, which worries me; because if an heir were to return, I know for a fact that Denethor would not be thrilled about giving up power. He loves his position, and sometimes I think he forgets that he's not the actual king!"

"Well, that's not good," said Hermione, "Aragorn's the real king and it looks like he's coming back!"

"How do you know?" asked Ginny, "I thought you were only going to Rohan. Why are you going to Rohan anyway?"

"Erm, well Ginny, if we could talk in private, I promise I'll explain everything!"

"Ok," said Ginny quizzically, "But why all the secrecy?"

"Trust me, this is important," said Hermione.

"Ok," said Ginny. She led them down another corridor and into a little storage space. They hid behind some barrels. "This had better be good," she said.

"Oh it is," said Hermione. She nodded to Frodo. Together, all three began their long tale…

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Aragorn were riding along with the people from Edoras on the long trek to Helm's Deep. They listened to Gimli, riding on Legolas' horse, telling Eowyn all about dwarf women and how they were often mistaken for the men. Eowyn was laughing. 

"Does he always talk about stuff like this?" Ron whispered to Harry.

"You have no idea," was the reply.

Suddenly Arod took off for no apparent reason and Gimli fell off. Eowyn raced over to see if he was all right. "That was deliberate, it was deliberate," he was saying.

Harry and Ron burst out laughing. Théoden rode up on his horse, Snowmane, and smiled at the sight of his niece laughing and brushing Gimli off. "I have not seen my niece smile in a long time," he said.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" asked Harry.

"She's had a troubled childhood. She was a girl when they brought her father back dead, cut down by orcs. She watched her mother succumb to grief, then she was left alone, to tend her king in growing fear, doomed to wait upon an old man, who should've loved her as a father," he said, his voice full of regret.

"It wasn't that bad," said Ron, "She had me, and Eomer…and Theodred."

"Yes, but because of that, now all she wants to do is ride off into battle with the men. She never really matured in that sense, and now I don't think she wants to. She's not satisfied with her position as a lady."

"Well, in our world, there are a lot of girls like that," said Ron, "It's not strange; most girls are very independent."

"How can that be?" asked Théoden in confusion. Harry had begun to realize a long time ago that this world had a very old-fashioned view about women. He wondered how Ginny was surviving this, and what Hermione's view was. He'd never asked her, and she hadn't brought the subject up. He supposed that the elves never explained it to her, as that would be a somewhat rude thing to do to a guest.

"I think my mum told me that women like Eowyn got fed up with their position in life and decided to fight back." said Ron.

"They had a war against men?" asked Théoden.

"No, no" said Harry, "By fight he means they protested and stuff. And they won, eventually."

"Interesting," said Aragorn, "I wonder if that'll ever happen here."

"Probably," said Harry, "And you might as well treat them as equals, some of them are very intelligent. Like Hermione, she's brilliant!"

"Oh you don't need to tell me that," said Aragorn, "She's proved it many times!"

* * *

Right now Hermione had just finished explaining to Ginny everything about the Ring, the Quest, and what really happened to the Fellowship. When she finished her friend was stunned. 

"You mean to tell me that you're going to _Mordor_?"

"That's the plan anyway," said Frodo, "If we ever find Sméagol, that is."

"And he told you there was another way into Mordor? That can't be! It's just the Black Gate…" Here her voice trailed off and she looked like she was thinking hard.

"What?" asked Sam, "You've heard of this place he's talking about?"

"Maybe…what did he say? Secret stairs, and a tunnel?"

"Yes," said Hermione, "What is it?"

"I think it's called…oh, come on Ginny think…I can't remember, but it was by Minas Morgul."

"Minas Morgul?" gasped Hermione, "Isn't that just as bad as the Black Gate?"

"I dunno," said Ginny, "I guess you have a better chance sneaking past there than at a massive gate…"

"Could you take us there?" asked Frodo hopefully.

"Of course not. I don't know exactly how to get to Minas Morgul, so I'd have to ask Faramir. And he'd never let me go!"

"I think it would be best to keep this all from Faramir," said Hermione, "I'm sorry Ginny; I know he's your friend, but…"

"I know. I understand. For now, you'd better stay here. Maybe Faramir's troops will find this Gollum character you're looking for, and he can show you where this tunnel is."

"That would be great," said Hermione, "Thank you so much for helping us!"

Ginny smiled at her. "What are friends for?"

* * *

That night, Harry took a stroll around the camp. He found Aragorn sitting alone, puffing his own pipe and looking deep in thought. 

"What's up?" he asked.

"Oh, hello Harry," said Aragorn, "Nothing's wrong, I was just sitting here and thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing really, just memories."

"Is there something wrong?"

"No!" said Aragorn, a little too forcefully. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"It's ok, you can tell me! I've always told you what was bothering me, even if I didn't want to. So now let's just say we're even."

Aragorn smiled at him, but it was a sad smile. "I don't think you can help me Harry."

"Why? Because I'm too young? I hear that more then I want to Aragorn, and it never stopped me before, so you might as well just spit it out!"

"Spit what out!"

"Oh, it's just an expression. And it means you'd better just get on with it and tell me what's wrong!"

"Fine!" said Aragorn, "It's…Arwen."

Of all the things Harry had expected to hear, this was at the very bottom of his list. "Arwen?" he asked, "Why Arwen?"

"Because…well…because I love her."

"Really?" asked Harry. He felt a little awkward, he always did when the subject came to girls or romance. "Does she love you?"

"Yes," said Aragorn with a pained expression on his face.

"And that's supposed to be a bad thing?" asked Harry, not really following along.

"Yes!" said Aragorn, "She's immortal and I'm not! So we're not allowed to be together!"

"Who says that? You should be allowed to marry whoever you want!"

"But Harry, it doesn't work that way," he replied patiently, "Maybe it's different in your world, but Arwen is supposed to go with the rest of the elves across the Sea to the Undying Lands, or Valinor."

"Is Legolas going too?"

"I think he will, eventually, if we survive, although he told me he wants to stay here for a little while longer. But don't you see Harry? If Arwen goes, she can never come back, and we'll be separated forever. But even if she does choose to stay, eventually I'll die, but she won't, and she'll be all alone in the world! I can't let that happen to her, and neither can her father, Elrond. He convinced me to tell her she should leave."

"Why can't she just leave after you die?"

"Once she chooses a mortal life, she is forsaking her old life and can't go. It's rather complicated, but the fact is that I feel like I ruined her life, because I didn't tell her that Elrond wanted me to talk to her; then she'd never leave. But she was so upset when I told her to go to Valinor, and it made _my _heart break just looking at her."

"Wow," said Harry, "So she's leaving?"

"I think so."

"That's terrible!" cried Harry, "Who cares if you're not immortal? If Arwen really loves you it won't matter!"

"Harry, how would you feel if you were separated forever from everyone you ever loved and cared about? I don't want Arwen to go through that, even if she can't understand that it will happen!"

"If she really wants to stay, I know from experience that nothing and no one will stop her," said Harry, "I'm not an expert on girls, quite the opposite, but that I do know for a fact."

"Yes, well," muttered Aragorn. He looked uncomfortable and eager to change the subject. "What about you? Do you like any girls?"

"Well…I'm not sure," said Harry, "I remember last year how everyone thought Hermione was my girlfriend, but that was some reporter making things up, it wasn't true."

"What's a reporter?"

"What! Don't you guys have newspapers?"

"No. What's a newspaper?"

"It's kind of like a book I guess. It comes out every week with news about what's happening in the world or the immediate area. They're useful if you want direct information, when you become king you should start one. But anyway, reporters are people who write the news, and this one lady named Rita Skeeter wrote something about me and Hermione, and everyone thought we were dating. It was a big mess, but it got cleared up in the end."

"I'm glad," said Aragorn, "But are you actually in love with anyone?"

"Well, Ginny's loved me for a couple of years now, but I think she gave up. It's a bit of a relief if you ask me, she used to turn red every time I went near her and never seemed to know how to talk to me."

"Do you love her?"

"Not really. She's nice and everything, but she's Ron's little sister, so it'd be too weird!"

"It doesn't sound weird to me. After all, Elrond sort of adopted me when I was young, so I guess Arwen would technically be a bit like a sister."

"Now that IS weird!" said Harry. Aragorn laughed. "But, well, I guess you could say I like this one girl, her name is Cho, except I never seem to do anything right when I'm with her, and we got into a big fight, and now she's not speaking to me."

"That doesn't sound like the right girl for you."

"You think? But she's really pretty…I just don't like how she always brings up her dead boyfriend, Cedric, and then starts crying…it make me feel uncomfortable."

"Then she's not the right person for you. If Arwen was ever crying all I'd want to do is comfort her. Besides, if Cedric was her boyfriend, and is this the same Cedric you said you saw die?"

"Yeah."

"Then I don't think she's ready to start seeing other boys, if she really wants to start seeing them again. Try looking for someone else."

"All right, but it won't be easy!"

* * *

Ginny walked back to the main area of Henneth Annun, where most of the men were bustling about. She didn't really notice them; she was too deep in thought. She saw Faramir clutching his brother's horn, and was cast back into memories…

* * *

Flashback 

"Hermione! Wait!" cried Ginny. She dashed into the golden haze, only to find herself hurled about in a whirl of color. Finally it stopped, and she realized she was falling through the sky. She looked down and saw nothing but water. Screaming, she plummeted until she hit Anduin.

The impact was enough to knock the wind out of her temporarily. Then she began to realize she was underwater, and started trying to swim to the surface. Gasping for air, Ginny felt the current pulling her along, to an edge where it dropped into what must be a waterfall. Horrified, the girl started trying to swim to shore, but the current was too strong. With a scream, she was dragged over the waterfall, where she hit a rock and toppled into the water below.

Somehow, someway, Ginny managed to climb up onto a floating log, before everything went black and she knew no more. When she finally did wake up, it was late afternoon, and the log was floating past some great stone buildings. Shaking herself, Ginny got off the log and began heading for the beach on the other side, hoping to fins someone in those buildings who would help her. But she hadn't eaten in a long time, and that bump on the head from the rock had not received any medical attention, so she was exhausted. When she finally did drag herself to the beach, she fell asleep on the sand at once.

Ginny finally became aware of the fact that she was being carried, and that some men were talking above her, but she couldn't make sense of much else.

"Who is she Boromir?"

"I don't know. I found her just outside Osgiliath. She was soaking wet and it looks like she hasn't had a decent meal in days."

"Where does she come from, do you wonder?"

"I have no idea."

Ginny groaned and stirred. When she opened her eyes, she found two men with shoulder-length brown hair staring down at her. "I'm…Ginny," she croaked.

"Hello Ginny, I'm…"

"Boromir!" yelled an irritated voice. Ginny turned her head slightly to see an angry looking man with long grey hair come marching up. "What are you still doing here? I thought I sent you to Rivendell!"

"Yes Father, I was on my way, but…"

"Who is this?" asked the old man, staring at Ginny.

"Some girl I found by the bank of Anduin."

"Well, Faramir can take care of her. You need to go straight to Rivendell!"

"Yes Father," said Boromir, with an air of annoyance that his father didn't catch.

"Good." The man walked away.

"Sorry about this, little brother," said Boromir to the other man, who must be Faramir.

Faramir shrugged. "It's no problem."

"I'm…sorry," said Ginny, "I'll…go…now."

"Nonsense, you look too worn out to go anywhere for the time being! You'd better look after her Faramir."

"I will. Goodbye."

Boromir nodded, got on his horse, and galloped away.

"Come on," said Faramir, turning to Ginny, "Let's get you something to eat…"

End of Flashback

* * *

Although she hadn't known Boromir very well, Ginny still felt like he'd saved her life, in a way. And now he was dead. Faramir was all alone in the world. _Just like Harry_, she thought, making a mental note to keep Faramir company as much as possible. He would certainly need a friend now more than ever.

* * *

Far away in Fangorn, Treebeard was still leading the four boys to the Entmoot. They were getting very bored, until Pippin spotted smoke. 

"Reckon something's wrong?" asked Fred.

"No," said Treebeard, "There is always smoke rising from Isengard these days."

"Isengard?" they chorused. The boys started climbing the branches, craning to see if they could catch a glimpse of the infamous place, while Treebeard told them how Saruman used to be his friend, until he decided to start experimenting with things like machinery that is.

"So he wasn't always evil?" asked George.

"Evil?" asked Treebeard, "No, no, of course not!"

"But he is now," said Fred, "And we have to stop him!"

"Don't be hasty!" said Treebeard, "We will decide whether to interfere with Saruman's doings or not, when we arrive at the Entmoot."

"If we ever do arrive," muttered Fred. Fortunately, Treebeard didn't hear him.

Merry had another worry. "Look at that," he said, pointing out at a black mass leaving Isengard.

"What is it?" asked George, straining to see.

"It's Saruman's army," said Merry, fear evident in his voice, "The war's started."

"Uh-oh," said Fred, "That can't be good."

A/N: And there you have it! We found everybody! YAY! Now I'm looking forward to getting to the Return of the King! I am SO sorry for not updating; I meant to do it Tuesday, but the computer and Internet were being stupid on me (I'm sure we've all been through that at least once, and if you haven't, I envy you!) Again, my apologies. I'm working on Ch. 19 right now, so I'll try and update faster next time!

To my favorite people on Fanfiction Net: (aka my reviewers!)

**Genvessel: **Yeah, I think I'd better do something with Hermione and Frodo, she DID choose to go with him after all. But I do love the relationship between Aragorn and Harry too! (Wait 'til we get to the part with the warg battle!) ;)

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Look, I said this at the beginning of the first chapter: This fic is based on the movie! I haven't finished reading the books so that's why I do it this way. Aragorn will fall, and Frodo and Sam will split. Though I must say at first I wasn't sure what to do there, because I had no idea where Hermione would fit in to that event. On the one hand, she trusts Gollum, but on the other hand, she's a very loyal person and very smart. She could never be tricked into thinking Sam was bad. So I was stuck. But then I came up with something I'm satisfied with. I hope you are satisfied with it too!

**Darknesscomes: **Good! Is this chapter ok?

**Eclipse: **That's ok! To me, what you guys think is very important! That's why I love getting reviews; I want to know what you think! I thought it was elvish too, but someone told me otherwise, I'll double-check though. I wasn't too sure about the Legolas bit either. My one defense is that he's been around these guys for so long, he's bound to have picked the words up, and it may've just slipped out. It could happen I'm sure. I LOVE GINNY TOO! YAY!

**Eleniel of the Stars: **Thank you, I liked that chapter too! I'm glad you liked the way I made Harry and Ron, I try my hardest to make all the characters right.

**Melamb: **You were half right. She has been to Minas Tirith before, and in a sense that's important, because like Ron, she's pretty much got the inside scoop on the place.

**Pippin Took: **You're not bothering me! Review as much as you want, it makes me so happy! I don't have AIM or Yahoo or anything, people keep telling me I should get it, but I never do! If you want to find more HP/LotR crossovers, there's a C2 community on here that has two others on here besides mine. Or if you check my Bio, most of my favorite stories tend to be crossovers. There are some really good ones on here! Glad you liked this one!

**Drusilla: **Think of Frodo as the parent and Hermione as the older sibling. Frodo is still Gollum's Master, Hermione is his friend who kinda watches out for him and keeps Sam from bullying him too much.

**Suuki-Aldrea: **Lol, OMG I never thought of that song! I'm definitely going to have to put that one in there somewhere! Where, I have no idea, but I'll try to find a way!

**XyBulmaXy: **Thanks a lot! Keep reviewing, I really appreciate it!

**Ryuichi Sakuma 7: **OMG! Someone is asking me for writing tips! (faints in shock and joy) So…where was I? Oh yeah, I think the best advice I could possibly come up with is write about what you love the most, because you'll know more about that than anything else (i.e. If you like romance, write that, or if you like mysteries, write one of those!). I tend to brainstorm on my computer a lot too, that really helps. I'll keep writing as fast as I possibly can!

**BGTom: **Sort of. She may go back there again, you'll have to wait and see.

**Catwraith: **I actually had no idea what Henneth Annun was until I looked it up, and then I was like, "Oh yeah, she is there!" I think Ron will go with Aragorn, only because Harry is going to go of course, and Ron would never leave Harry. Except that he's also a sort of lieutenant under Eomer, so he may just go to Pelennor. Which ever works better.

**Ancalagon: **Thank you! I've done that sometimes, where I find a good fic and I stay up all night reading it! Such fun! I'm glad you like it!

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Yeah I read it, but I think I forgot to review. If I did, let me tell you it was amazing! So here's Ginny! What did you think?

**Azraeos: **OMG! You're the person who's writing "The Black Wizard"! I love your story too! You know, I've started to notice that a lot of the same people review for these HP/LotR stories, it's like we're all one big community or something…Anyway, I'm so happy you liked it!


	19. Battle with the Wargs!

A/N: Happy (late) Mother's Day to everyone, whether you're a mother or not! Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 19: Battle with the Wargs!

The next day it was Ron's turn to scout ahead and make sure the road was safe. He and Hama urged their horses away from the group and they rode over a hill and out of sight. Legolas watched them go. For some reason he felt uneasy. The atmosphere was too quiet for him, and he felt like he sensed some evil nearby.

But right now, everything seemed all right. That is, until Ron and Hama approached another hill nearby. Suddenly, Telien jerked back and started pawing the ground nervously. "What's wrong boy?" asked Ron. Telien whinnied but would not go one step further. Hama's horse was doing the same thing. "Hama, what is it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," replied Hama.

One thing Ron had always liked about his horse was Telien's unusually quick reflexes. It was a good thing he had them too: it saved both of their lives.

Suddenly out of nowhere a giant wolf, with an orc on its back, pounced on the two from the top of the hill. Telien twisted back as fast as a horse possibly could and reared onto his hind legs, squealing in terror. Hama was not so lucky. The wolf knocked him clean off his horse and promptly went in for the kill. The end came very quickly.

Ron drew his sword. He knew exactly what these creatures were; he had battled them before with Eomer and his troops. This orc was riding a Warg, and they were both fighting the young wizard ferociously.

Luckily for Ron, Legolas heard the shouts and came running. He quickly drew out his bow and shot the warg. Then he took one of his knives and slew its rider. "A scout!" he yelled to Aragorn, who had also come running to see what was the matter. The ranger nodded and went back to warn the others.

"Come on," Ron called down to Legolas, patting the seat of his horse, "Get up! There are probably more coming!"

"Oh don't worry about me; I'll be fine on the ground until Arod comes."

"You don't understand, the only reason you were able to kill those guys was because they didn't see you coming. You can't fight on the ground, it's too dangerous!"

"I'll be fine, stop worrying," said Legolas, and he charged up the hill to face whatever was coming.

"Suit yourself," said Ron, before muttering, "He's mental!"

"I heard that!"

Ron silently cursed the amazing hearing abilities of elves.

* * *

After she was all settled, Hermione decided to explore the rest of the caves. Faramir would've let them all leave on their own accord, but he wanted to make sure they were well-rested and replenished before they continued on their way. Frodo and Sam, being hobbits, eagerly accepted when Faramir provided them with as best a supper as they had out in the wild, but Hermione found she wasn't very hungry. So instead she chose to wander. She hadn't gone very far when she heard some soft snorting. Curious, Hermione peered around a bend and saw a small black horse munching on some hay.

"Well hello there," she said, approaching it slowly and reaching out to stroke its unusually long but velvety nose. The horse nuzzled her. "What's your name?"

"That's Snout," said a voice behind her. Hermione turned around to see Ginny. "He's my horse."

"You named your horse _Snout_?"

"Well, yeah, look at his nose, it's longer than normal. Besides, I think it's a cute name, don't you?"

"If you say so," said Hermione, but deep down she was thinking, _First Pigwidgeon, now Snout! This girl's got weird ideas when it comes to naming things!_

"Faramir gave him to me," said Ginny, walking over to stroke the horse, "He's only a year old, and no one really needed him, so I got to keep him. We get along great."

"He seems really sweet."

"Oh yes," said Ginny. She stared at Hermione curiously. "I didn't know you liked horses."

"I didn't either," she replied, and they both laughed. "I guess being in Middle Earth opened me to new interests!"

"Yeah, I feel the same way. C'mon, let's get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Of course you are! Come on," she said, and dragged a protesting Hermione from the room.

* * *

Harry had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it certainly intensified when the group heard shouts coming from over the hill. Aragorn dashed off to see what was the matter, and came back a few minutes later, eyes wide with fear.

"What's the matter?" asked Harry.

"Wargs! We're under attack!" he yelled.

Harry had no clue what a warg was, and wasn't sure if he really wanted to find out. Nevertheless, he mounted Thalion and followed the rest of the soldiers into battle.

Ron and Legolas stood on the hill, watching as the warg riders came charging towards them. The elf started firing arrows in their direction, but Ron was terrible at shooting and knew any attempt with a bow were just pointless. So instead he tried blasting a few Stunners, and then waited for Théoden's riders to catch up before charging on into battle.

Harry had never fought on a horse before, and it wasn't easy. Still, it was better than being on the ground, as he soon found out. The two armies clashed together, and if any unfortunate soldiers fell off their mounts, the wargs showed no mercy. On the other hand, Gimli fell off right in the beginning, but as far as Harry could tell, he was doing much better on the ground. That is, until he killed a warg and it toppled onto him, leaving him pinned to the ground. Harry started to ride to his aid, but he found himself caught between two orcs that required all of his concentration.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ginny had finally gotten Hermione to eat something, although her friend protested that she wasn't hungry. Now Hermione was looking for Frodo and Sam. She found them sitting by the window to which the headquarters got its name. What was so unusual about it was that it was hidden entirely by a waterfall.

"Hey guys," she said, "How are you doing?"

"Fine thank you, Miss Hermione," said Sam. Frodo didn't answer.

"Frodo?" she asked, "Are you ok?"

"Fine," he said softly, not even looking at her.

Hermione looked directly into his eyes. "Is it the Ring?" she asked, very quietly so no one would hear.

Frodo sighed. "It's just getting a bit heavy, that's all."

"If you need any help, let me know."

"You can't help me here Hermione. Or you Sam," he added as Sam opened his mouth to say something.

"Oh come on Frodo, we have to be able to help you; why else do you think we came?" asked Hermione exasperatedly.

Frodo said nothing. She had a point.

"This is exactly how Harry acts," she went on angrily, "He shuts himself up and won't talk to anyone because he believes that no one can understand what he's going through. Did it ever occur to him, or you, that the only reason why we can't understand is because you won't tell us what's wrong?"

"Hermione, I'm glad you and Sam have decided to come with me, and for this I thank you, but you have no idea, either one of you, what it's like to carry this…this…_thing_!" he said with utter disgust, gesturing towards the Ring. "When I have it on, it's like there's this great weight pressing on my chest, and I want to take it off, but I can't. I hate it, but at the same point, the desire to wear it is growing stronger and stronger each day. I'm so afraid of the power it has over me, but now I'm also starting to grow attached to it. It's so much a part of me!"

Here Frodo stopped and closed his eyes, his face the picture of deep distress. Sam put a comforting arm around his master. Hermione felt terrible.

"Frodo…I'm really sorry…You're absolutely right, I really did have no idea, but I still want to help you if I can!"

"You've done enough already," said Frodo, opening his eyes and struggling to smile. "If you and your friends help us win this war, we will owe you a great debt!"

"Nonsense," said Hermione, "We're more than happy to help!"

"But what about this Voldemort person you mentioned?" asked Sam, "Don't you need to get rid of him too?"

"Well, yes, but we'll deal with him later, when we get home."

"If you ever need our assistance with your war, let us know," said Frodo.

"That's very sweet of you Frodo, but Voldemort is a really powerful wizard, along with his followers, the Death Eaters. No offense, but you'd be no match for them!"

"None taken," said Sam, "Anyway, I don't care how powerful they are, they won't be a match for Samwise Gamgee!" He unsheathed his dagger and waved it around for dramatic effect, only to trip and fall flat on his face. Frodo and Hermione laughed.

"Oh Sam," she gasped, "I really don't know…"

* * *

Aragorn was riding through the battle, slashing orcs with furious speed. He was used to battling on horseback, even though it wasn't his favorite way to fight. Nearby he could see Harry struggling with two particularly vicious orcs, and rode over quickly to help. After that was taken care of, he saw yet another friend was in need: Gimli was stuck underneath a dead warg and a dead orc, and a second warg had climbed on top, teeth bared. Thinking quickly, Aragorn pulled out a spear and thrust it into the creature. It dropped dead, and Gimli groaned in pain as he got pinned down by _another_ body!

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were riding side by side, and for once, it was Ron who was really coming out on top. Harry didn't really mind; his best friend was always in his shadows, except in chess, so it was about time Ron beat him at something.

Harry has just finished slicing off the head of another orc, when he turned just in time to see Aragorn knocked off his horse. Fortunately it looked like the ranger was unhurt. That is, until another warg and its rider tackled him, and Aragorn found his sleeve tangled in the rein, he himself getting dragged along for the ride. Harry couldn't think of anything else to do except gallop as fast as he could towards them.

What he planned to do was very brave and incredibly reckless. But he didn't care. Harry never thought about his own safety when another's was at risk. While Aragorn struggled with the orc, Harry stood up on Thalion, something that could only be achieved by his superb Quidditch training. A few seconds closer to the warg was all he needed, before he took a deep breath, steadied himself, and jumped.

The orc rider was busy trying to kill the man that had gotten caught in his warg. He never expected there to be danger from behind. Suddenly, he felt the warg buckle and shift as extra weight was suddenly placed on its back. The orc barely had time to turn around before a sword rammed into his stomach and he was tossed away. The only thing he'd been able to grab onto was something that had been fastened around the man's neck. But he could care less what it was, as he lay, breathing heavily on the ground, watching with some satisfaction as he saw where his now crazed mount was headed.

Aragorn was shocked to see the vicious orc replaced by a good friend. "Harry," he gasped, "What are you doing?"

"Getting you loose," was Harry's short reply as began to slash wildly at the tough rein.

Aragorn twisted around to look ahead and instantly paled. "Harry," he said, ""Get off. Now."

"Hold on, I'm almost done!"

"No. Get off now!"

"Just a minute!"

"HARRY GET OFF!"

It was too late. Harry looked up in time to see the edge of the cliff coming to meet them, and then the roaring river below. Neither friend had a chance to escape.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Faramir had never felt so distressed in his life. Boromir was dead, Gondor was weakening, and an entire army looked to him now to do things right. How could he? His father was right, he really was useless…

Ginny, meanwhile, hated to see her friend so upset. Faramir got on her nerves sometimes, with his whole idea that as a girl she didn't belong in battle, but she did feel sorry for him sometimes. One couldn't help it; he had such a rough life. Although Ginny wasn't a very tactful person, she was still determined to make him feel better.

"Are you ok?" she asked, sitting next to him.

"Fine," he said, turning away.

Ginny bit her lip. "Look, I know you're upset, but if you need any help…"

"Ginny, I know what you're going to say. And the answer is no. I'm supposed to be protecting you, and I can't do that if I place you in battle."

"But Faramir, I can help, I swear! I have magic, I know how to use a Shield Charm, I can look after myself!"

But Faramir was shaking his head. "Boromir asked me to look after you, so that's what I intend to do. Besides, it appears to be the one thing my father expects me to do right!"

"And you don't want to lose that," said another voice behind them. They both turned to see Hermione. "I understand," she said, "In my world, sometimes, no matter how hard I try; my teachers aren't impressed by my work. I hate that because I do the best I can, but no one realizes it!"

"Hermione, everyone knows you're a genius, unless you're talking about Snape and the Slytherins, and it's just not worth it to look for praise from _them_," said Ginny.

"I know, and I know the other Gryffindors don't care that Snape picks on us, but it bothers me that he just refuses to give me any praise for my work!"

"You two are just too serious, you know that don't you?" said Ginny exasperatedly, "Both of you are addicted to studying, although I can't see how you can possibly be interested in that sort of thing. It's boring!"

"You sound like my father," mumbled Faramir.

"It's not boring, I love learning!" replied Hermione.

"I guess you and Gandalf got along well then?" asked Faramir.

"Yes, why? Did you know him well?"

"I did. He taught me a lot when I was younger. Much to my father's disgust. He wanted me to be a soldier, but even in that area he's just not satisfied."

"Ah well," said Ginny, "He's a brainless git."

"_Ginny!_" gasped Hermione.

"Well he is!"

Faramir seemed hasty to get off the subject. "So you came from Rivendell?" he asked Hermione, "What are the Elves like? I've read a bit about them."

"Oh they're simply _wonderful_," said Hermione excitedly, and she was off, telling the young soldier everything she could about Rivendell (which was quite a lot), with Faramir adding in every now and then things he had read on the subject. Feeling like the fifth wheel, Ginny got up to leave. _Bookworms,_ she thought, rolling her eyes, _They're all the same!

* * *

_

The battle was over, at least for now. Gimli swung his ax into a dying warg, and everything was quiet.

Ron got off his horse, along with the other Rohirrim soldiers, as they began counting the casualties. They had won, but at a great cost. Ron started calling for Harry. He had just realized that his friend was nowhere to be seen.

Legolas and Gimli had realized the same thing about Aragorn. All three of them walked through the bodies, calling for their friends. They got no response, until they reached the cliff.

Ron started to walk over to the edge, when he could of sworn he heard someone laughing. It was a very orcish laugh too. He and the others turned to the ground to see the sound came from a dying orc. Just looking at it told Ron that something terrible had happened, though his mind wouldn't allow him to start considering it. Gimli aimed his ax at the creature. "Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing," he said.

"They're…dead," the orc replied, "They took a little tumble off the cliff."

Ron instantly felt like he was going to be sick. He had forgotten how to breathe. Legolas grabbed the orc by the shoulders. "You lie!" he hissed. The orc just laughed. It seemed to Ron that this creature was just thrilled to hurt them this way before he died. A wave of fierce anger filled up in the young wizard, and before anyone else could react, he swung his sword and drove it down deep into the orc's chest. It died instantly.

Ron was now breathing heavily and leaning on his horse for support. "They're not dead…they can't be," he whispered.

Legolas noticed something in the orc's hand. It was an elven necklace. His heart sank the moment he saw it.

"What's that?" asked Ron, not really catching on, "Oh wait! I've seen that before, I think. Didn't Aragorn wear that or something?" He paused for a moment, as he began to take in what he was saying. "That still doesn't mean Harry fell off though!" he added hopefully.

Gimli looked around. "Then where is he?"

"Oh yeah…"

Together, all three of them walked to the edge of the cliff. Nothing could be seen at the bottom except the roaring stream.

At this moment Théoden approached them. He was deeply saddened about Aragorn's and Harry's supposed fates, but nothing could be done for them now. "Ron," he said, "Help me round up the men. We need to get the wounded to Helm's Deep before the Wolves of Isengard return."

"But sir, I want to find Harry! What if he's not dead? He's been through so much; he couldn't have been killed just by falling off a cliff!"

"I'm sorry Ron, but you can't help them anymore. Come, _all_ of you," he said, with a pointed look at Legolas and Gimli, who both looked despondent. Théoden then turned and walked away.

Gimli stared down for what seemed like an age before he sighed heavily and said, "The king is right. Let's go." Legolas looked at the necklace in his hand, then back at the cliff, before following.

Ron's eyes continued to follow the progress of the stream. It really bothered him that they were leaving without even at least bothering to search for bodies. Maybe…just maybe…no it was impossible. Even the great Harry Potter couldn't have survived a fall like that. With that thought in mind, he took one last look at the cliff before turning to leave. "Goodbye Harry," he whispered. It was at this point that Ron did something he'd never done before, at least not in public. Something he only did alone, when something heart-wrenching occurred in his life. He cried.

A/N: Sorry if that was at all clichéd or a bit sappy. And I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry I haven't updated sooner. I honestly feel wiped out, with the computer nearly crashing, and homework, and I feel stressed out at the moment. What I really need is my own laptop. Then I could just sit in my room and type whenever I had a spare moment. Quiet and privacy are the two elements I need in order to write.

To my wonderful (and hopefully patient) reviewers:

**Eclipse:** I am a Harry/Ginny shipper to tell you the truth. So I'll probably pair them up, but it won't really be big in this story, because the way the actual series is going, it looks like Harry hasn't really "discovered" Ginny yet. He still thinks she's that helpless little girl down in the Chamber of Secrets. Of course, we all know better, 'cause GINNY RULES! I don't know where I came up with the Boromir sequence; it just sorta popped into my head. But I'm glad you liked it!

**Eleniel of the Stars: **Hehe, if Middle Earth were _mine_, Frodo, Gandalf, and the elves wouldn't leave for Valinor, there'd be more Eowyn-like female characters (including myself!), Denethor would love Faramir, and Legolas would be MINE! But that's only IF Middle-Earth were mine, of course…

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Oh yes it will! Harry said in the fifth book he needed to have a talk with someone about girls (namely Sirius, but that's beside the point), so I thought, what the heck, he certainly needs one! This story isn't going to be very romantic, but I'm thinking of spicing up the sequel a little bit! (They're at Hogwarts…girl students everywhere, more of choice selection! My one big mistake was that I never put Luna in here. She'd be at home in another world like this! But I forgot to add her in in the first chapter. I'm really stupid like that!)

**XyBulmaXy: **Aww thanks! I'll try and keep it up!

**SalanTrong: **Of course you're not! I know, I used to be a silent reader too! (I still am, as a matter of fact!)

**Darknesscomes: **Good! Do you like it now? (Lol If we're not careful, we're going to start sounding like the Sprint commercial; "Can you here me now?" etc.)

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **I did my best to make a connection between the two of them. Hermione'll be torn of course during the Frodo and Sam thing, it should be highly emotional. Then there's the fact that I outlined my story, and I believe Frodo and Sam will part in the same chapter that Faramir nearly dies at Osgiliath. That'll be a very sad chapter!

**Lisa Riddle: **Ooo, I really wanted to do a Legolas pairing, I know exactly who I'd do, but then I decided not too. It's too late now to do it in this story, but if you want me to do it in another story, I will! I'm not sure about Fred and George though. Sorry if it seems clichéd, I try to avoid it at all costs, but I'm happy to hear you like my writing style!

**Suuki-Aldrea: **Yeah, I woke up last Saturday to hear that ours had crashed as well. Fortunately it turned out the reason it wasn't working was because my disk was stuck in there. But we still have a virus! Grr!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **I think Harry underestimates Ginny in the books, but towards the end I'm going to see if I can pair them up. Those two are great together! I figure if it's exactly like the Lord of the Rings story it'll get boring. So I'm trying to take it in all sorts of different directions. It really writes itself at times. But I just love writing fanfiction!

**LillyandJamesforever: **She's one of my favorites too! Luna, Hermione, and Ginny! I love those three! Of course you can publish my story on your website, I feel flattered that anyone would want to!

**Beautystar: **Hmm, you're right. The flashback was meant to explain what happened to Ginny in more detail. The reason why I did that was besides Harry, I knew exactly what I wanted to happen to her when she fell in (the way she met Boromir and everything). I won't repost it 'cause I don't really have time, but thanks for pointing it out!

**Catwraith: **I honestly can't tell you when the next chapter will be. I originally planned to submit a new chapter each Friday, but fate has a way of messing up the best of plans! Ginny's not going to Mordor, don't worry, she'd rather be in battle!


	20. Many Arrivals

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: After this, I think we only have four more chapters of TTT! OMG! The end is in sight!

Very important note: Look, I really, really, appreciate it when you all give me suggestions on how to improve my story and overall writing. But before you give me any more, I just need to explain something to you: This fic is based on the Lord of the Rings movies because _I have not read the books_! I read The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, and bits and pieces of The Two Towers and The Return of the King. So while I know little things like Shelob isn't in RotK, and Eowyn calls herself Dernhelm in battle, and that Elrond has twin sons, I don't have enough to go on for a fic. I could never go into detail, and I'd really mess up. Occasionally if I remember something from the series that I like, I may throw it in, but for the most part it's movie version. I'm sorry if some of you don't like that, but that's the way it has to be. But many thanks for all of your suggestions, I do appreciate them!

Chapter 20: Many Arrivals

As he fell, Harry had many thoughts racing through his head. _I'm going to die. This is it. I'm never going back to Hogwarts. How are the others ever going to explain this to Dumbledore? Who's going to teach the DA? Who's going to stop Voldemort? WHO'S GOING TO PLAY SEEKER FOR GRYFFINDOR! Oh yeah, I got a life-long ban…_

CRASH.

* * *

Neither Legolas nor Gimli nor Ron had ever felt this miserable. Though they tried not to show it, it was clear that all three of them were in a state of deep distress.

Finally, Ron managed to control the tears silently flowing down his face, and said, "So what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Legolas.

"I mean, what are we going to do? Gandalf's gone, and Aragorn was supposed to lead us, but now he's dead, so what do we do?"

"I guess…well…I don't know," said Legolas softly.

"Follow the king I would think," said Gimli gruffly.

"Yes, but then what?" Legolas groaned, "This is all wrong! We should've stayed with Frodo! That's what we were supposed to do in the first place!"

"If you had, you'd never have found me," Ron pointed out.

"Maybe we weren't supposed to meet you! If we hadn't gone to Rohan, Aragorn and Harry wouldn't have died!"

"Oh, so now this is all _my_ fault?" asked Ron, voice steadily rising, "What about my brothers, and those two hobbits, Merry and Pippin? Didn't you need to find them? And what about Gandalf? You wouldn't have known that he was alive!"

"No Ron, that's not what he meant at all!" said Gimli, "He's just very upset, you both are, can't you understand that? I am too! But that's no excuse to start fighting with one another! Aragorn and Harry wouldn't want you to!"

"I doubt it," said Ron with a slight grin, "Harry was always losing his temper."

"Aragorn did too, sometimes," said Legolas, who was also smiling reminiscently, "You should've heard him after the Council of Elrond, where I told everyone that Aragorn was the lost king of Gondor. He was pretty mad!"

"I can't picture Aragorn losing it, with you of all people!" said Ron.

"Haven't you and Harry ever gotten into a fight Ron?" asked Legolas.

"Oh yeah, once, in fourth year. But we made up, it was ok." Ron was looking sad again. "I wish I hadn't given him such a hard time back then."

"That's alright lad, he knew you didn't really mean it," said Gimli, "He used to talk about you and Ginny a lot before we came to Rohan."

"_Ginny_!" groaned Ron, "How am I ever going to explain this to her! And Hermione? They'll be crushed!"

"They'll be fine, I'm sure," said Legolas, trying to sound as comforting as possible.

"I can't see how, even I'm not so fine right now!" said Ron, "All my friends are dying on me! Theodred, Aragorn, and Harry! And I guess you really can't count Gandalf, since I didn't see him die, and he's alive now."

"No," said Legolas, "You really can't."

"Where IS Gandalf?" cried Gimli, "We could really use him right now!"

"I dunno, he probably went to get help," said Ron, "I say that from now on we stick together, because we're never going to survive this on our own!"

"I agree with that," said Gimli, "But I really hope Gandalf gets here soon!"

* * *

Approximately two hours later, Ginny returned to find Faramir and Hermione still engrossed in their conversation. It had gone from elves to other creatures in Middle-Earth to creatures in Hermione's world to magic and eventually a comparison of both worlds. She could see that both of them were thoroughly enjoying the fact that they finally met someone who loved books as much as they did.

Then one of the soldiers came up and whispered something to Faramir. His face was expressionless, but when he turned to Hermione his voice was suddenly deadly serious. "Is there something that you and your friends have not told me?" he asked.

Hermione was trembling. She didn't like his tone. "W-what do you mean?" she asked.

"Was there another with you when you were traveling?"

"Oh!" cried Ginny, and came running forward, "I'm sorry Faramir, I completely forgot to tell you! Hermione told me that they were looking for someone named Gollum, they met him on their way here."

"We found him," said Faramir, "In the Forbidden Pool."

Ginny's face fell. "Uh-oh," she said.

"What's that?" asked Hermione worriedly. Faramir didn't answer. He got up and walked to the room where Frodo and Sam were sleeping. Hermione looked fearfully at Ginny whose expression was one of dread. "Ginny, what's the Forbidden Pool?"

"It's the pool at the base of the waterfall. Anyone who enters it gets punished…by death!"

"What!" cried Hermione, "Oh no! I have to save him!" She started to get up, but Ginny held her down.

"Leave it Hermione," she said grimly.

"Leave it! Sméagol's my friend, I can't let them kill him!"

"I said…leave it!"

"But…"

"Faramir will take care of it. Just leave it! If you interfere you'll only get into more trouble!"

At that moment Faramir came out with Frodo. They both headed outside.

"What's going to happen?" asked Hermione fearfully.

"I'm not sure, let's find Sam," said Ginny.

* * *

The first thing Aragorn saw when he opened his eyes was Arwen. Or so he thought. It was actually Brego. The horse dropped down by his side and patiently waited until he could climb on.

_Where am I?_ thought Aragorn, _What happened? Why does everything hurt so much?_ Then he remembered; the battle, the wargs, falling off the cliff with Harry…_Harry_. Where was he? Was he alive? The mere thought gave Aragorn the strength he needed to mount Brego. Looking around, he was surprised to see Thalion not far away, picking his way through the reeds, obviously looking for his owner. Aragorn patted Brego. "Come on," he muttered, "Let's go find him." They set off along the beach.

* * *

"So _then_, if you'll believe it, Harry just swooped down and caught the Snitch! Can you believe that? And the game only lasted five seconds!" Ron was telling Legolas and Gimli about Harry's finer moments in Quidditch.

"I believe it," said Legolas, "But I'm not sure if I understand Quidditch too much."

"What is there not to understand? Seven players, four balls, two knock the other team off their brooms, one you use to score points, and the other you catch to win the game!"

"Yes, but how do you get the balls to do all that?"

"Magic."

"It sounds pretty dangerous," said Legolas.

"Like you guys have never done anything dangerous before," said Ron with a smirk.

"That's true," said Gimli, "But flying up in the air! You could fall!"

"Harry did once, but he lived. And then there was the time that our teacher jinxed his broom, so it would knock him off and kill him, but that was because he was working for You-Know-Who of course."

"I don't know who," said Gimli.

"Didn't Harry tell you about…" Ron gulped, "_Voldemort_?" He winced slightly.

"Oh yes, him," said Gimli, "What's the matter?"

"I don't like saying his name if I can help it. Nobody does. We're all still scared of him."

"So you won't say his name? That doesn't make any sense," said Legolas with a frown.

"I dunno why we do it, I'm just used to it by now."

"You should try saying his name more often," suggested Legolas, "It might help you."

"Nah. I'll leave that to Hermione."

"Look!" cried Gimli, pointing ahead, "Helm's Deep!"

It was an impressive sight. The entire fortress was made out of stone, built right into the Misty Mountains. The only way to get in was through a massive wooden gate by a bridge. The rest was all solid wall, except for a small drain where water came through.

"Wow," said Ron, completely awestruck, "I've never been here before!"

"Never? But I thought you were a Rohirric soldier!" said Legolas.

"Well yeah, but I rode through the plains mostly, I never had to go here!"

By now they had ridden up the bridge. Gimli was staring around at the area with approval. "Good stone-work," he was muttering, "Should withstand an invasion, if it were to come."

"You don't think we will be attacked, do you?" asked Ron.

"Saruman will not leave us alone just because we are in the mountains," replied Legolas.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" asked Fred, but he knew the answer already. He'd been asking for two days, and the answer was always the same: _no_.

"Yes of course," said Treebeard, "See?"

Fred's mouth dropped open in shock, to the amusement of his friends. They were indeed in a small clearing, with a stone sticking out in the middle as a center piece. Nearby the woods appeared to be moving. In fact it was filled with Ents representing all different types of trees. They were obviously here for the meeting.

"Beech, oak, chestnut, ash, good, good," said Treebeard, "Many have come."

"I'll say," said George. He looked over at Merry, who looked thrilled with the results. If these creatures went up against Saruman's armies, the old wizard wouldn't stand a chance.

"Now we must decide if the Ents will go to war," said Treebeard.

"And what should we do?" asked Fred.

"You can all stay down on the ground," said Treebeard, "Do whatever you feel like, but don't wander too far. You wouldn't understand the Entmoot anyway, we speak only Old Entish."

So he lowered them on the ground, and the Fearsome Foursome sat down to what they would soon realize would be a _very_ long wait.

* * *

Hermione was waiting too, but far more anxiously. Sam had told her and Ginny that Faramir had ordered Frodo to come with him immediately, but had not explained why. When they told him about Gollum, he shook his head. "I always knew he'd lead us to no good, and now look! He's gonna make Captain Faramir very suspicious of us."

"He was suspicious enough," said Ginny with a sigh, "He's always been that way. He has to be, he's so afraid he can't do anything right."

Eventually Frodo walked in. He looked very grave. "Are you all right Mr. Frodo!" asked Sam.

"Fine Sam," he said. "Sméagol isn't, I'm afraid."

"Why? What happened?" cried Hermione.

"They didn't kill him, I asked Faramir if I could go down and speak with him. But when I tried to help him escape, the rangers jumped out and captured him. They were very rough on him. I'm afraid Sméagol thinks I tricked him."

"Uh oh," said Ginny, "That's not good."

"Wh…" Hermione was interrupted by loud squeals. "Sméagol," she muttered, and ran out of the room.

"Oh no," groaned Ginny, "Hermione, wait!" She quickly followed her friend out.

* * *

Harry was alive, but badly injured by the looks of it. Aragorn dropped to his knees and was relieved to feel a steady pulse. "Harry," he called, as calmly as possible, "Harry, can you hear me?"

Harry groaned, but didn't answer. "Harry, wake up," said Aragorn, this time more urgently.

Harry's eyes fluttered open. "Ara…gorn?" he croaked, "Are we dead?"

"No," he replied, with a slight smile, "Somehow, we're alive. Come on, let's see if we can get to Helm's Deep."

"Where is everybody?"

"I don't know, but I would assume they are all at the fortress by now."

"They didn't come looking for us?" asked Harry, slightly angry, "Don't they even _care_?"

"First of all Harry, they may have been killed in battle for all we know. Second, if they are alive, they probably think we're dead. Third, they don't have time to look for us, if Saruman's armies are attacking!"

Harry sighed and closed his eyes. "Harry?" Aragorn called worriedly.

"I'm ok. Just really tired. Aragorn?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"What?"

Harry smiled. "Could we try to cut down on the near-death experiences here? I'm not sure how long I can keep surviving them."

Aragorn laughed. "I don't know," he said, "This war isn't over yet."

* * *

At Helm's Deep, everyone was deeply saddened about the news of Aragorn and Harry's fate, but no one seemed to be taking it harder than Eowyn. She turned pale when she heard and her eyes filled with tears. Ron was doing his best to comfort her. He wasn't doing a very good job.

"It's ok, we're all going to miss them," he said, as gently as possible. "I don't understand why you're so sad though, because you didn't really know them that well."

Eowyn gave him a cold, yet sad stare. "Aragorn was a great leader of men," she said slowly, "He gave us all hope by helping bring my uncle back. It's hard to believe he's gone."

"You know," said Ron, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you fancied him or something."

This was the wrong thing to say. Not only did Eowyn grow, if possible, even paler, but she sounded slightly angry. "I did not," she said, before stalking away.

"What… ah come on Eowyn, come back, I was only joking," called Ron, "I know you don't really like him, I was just joking, I was trying to make you feel better."

"Ah…I don't believe it worked Ron," said Legolas, trying to hide the smile creeping over his face.

"What in the name of Merlin did I say!" asked Ron, throwing up his hands in frustration.

"I don't think you're supposed to ask a girl whether they love someone or not," replied Legolas, "I think they consider that their sacred territory."

"I'll never understand girls with their mad ways!" said Ron with a groan.

"Neither will I," said Gimli.

* * *

Heart pounding, Hermione raced through the different passageways, until she found herself in the main chamber by the Window. Gollum had been thrown against a wall, and was now snarling at Faramir and his troops in an angry, animal-like way.

Faramir now took a step towards Gollum, who howled and retreated as far back as possible. Hermione all but lost it. "FARAMIR!" she screamed, grabbing onto his arm and pulling him back. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

But Faramir had a dangerous look in his eyes. "Would you like to go fetch your friends, and then you can tell me the real story about where you're headed?"

Hermione turned, horrified, to Gollum. "Sméagol," she said slowly, "What did you tell them?"

But Gollum seemed to be beyond reasoning. "We wants it, we wants it," he howled, pointing an accusing finger at Hermione, "They stole it from us!"

Hermione turned to Faramir. "I…" she gulped and tried again, "I don't…"

But Faramir also appeared to be beyond reasoning. He turned to walk away and bumped into Ginny. "I'm sorry!" she gasped, "I tried to explain to Hermione about the Forbidden Pool and everything, but she's really attached to Gollum here, you'll have to forgive her if she got out of control…"

Faramir stared at her. "Did they ever mention anything to you about a ring?"

Inwardly, Ginny groaned. She realized that Gollum must've told him about their real mission. But on the outside, she managed to keep her expression blank and say, "No. Why?"

Faramir didn't answer her, but merely stepped around her and headed off to find Frodo and Sam. Ginny turned to Hermione. "Now you're in for it," she said.

"I don't understand," said Hermione, "Why is the Ring so important to him?"

"I don't know," said Ginny, "But we're going to find out." They quickly exited the hall and followed Faramir as fast as they could.

* * *

About an hour later, Harry felt a bit better, but he still needed rest and medical attention, and the occasional jolting of his horse was not helping. Aragorn wasn't much better off; he let Brego do the job of finding Helm's Deep.

Then he heard something in the distance. It sounded like an army marching. Harry had heard it too, and looked up. "Aragorn," he said quietly, "What is that?"

Aragorn squinted and instantly blanched. "That's an army of Uruk-hai," he whispered, "It looks like ten thousand at least!"

"At the rate they're going, it looks like they're headed to Helm's Deep!" said Harry.

"We have to warn the others," said Aragorn, nudging Brego forward, "Come on, before they see us." They both galloped away at top speed.

* * *

Ginny and Hermione arrived just in time to see that Faramir had discovered the Ring. For once, Hermione wasn't entirely sure what to do. When she'd first heard about Sméagol, she'd pretty much acted on instinct. Now that she was coming to her senses, she felt utterly confused. She knew Faramir wasn't evil, she just _knew_ it. And she also knew that under normal circumstances he would never take the Ring like his brother, for the simple reason that he just wasn't interested in power. But something was different here. She wasn't sure what it was, but something was definitely wrong.

Ginny was more worried about Frodo. Faramir had reached out his sword and was fingering the Ring with it around the hobbit's neck. What disturbed Ginny the most was the way he reacted to it. Frodo seemed to go slack and his eyes grew unfocused. His whole face was oddly pale, and he didn't seem aware of himself. And somehow, Ginny understood those symptoms. She had experienced them a few times before, when she was only eleven…

"Faramir," she said slowly, "Stop. Now."

Faramir didn't even seem to register the fact that anyone else was in the room. His eyes were fixed on the Ring.

"Faramir," she said, this time more urgently, "Please stop." She tugged at his arm, but he shook it off. But Ginny was persistent. "_Stop_!" she cried, and yanked him back. Frodo instantly relaxed, and Sam ran over to comfort him.

Faramir was staring at Ginny in surprise. "What is it?" he asked.

The girl was now as pale as Frodo had been, and she looked almost angry. "Don't _ever_ do that again," she said in a firm voice that startled even Hermione.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"What's wrong? _What's wrong! _That thing is dangerous! Couldn't you see the effect it was having on Frodo? He's gotta get rid of it! We have to help him!"

Sam nodded. "That's where we're going," he said, "Into Mordor. To the Mountain of Fire!"

"We really need help," said Hermione.

Faramir may've reconsidered, had it not been for the emergency that was suddenly made known. One of the guards came up to report that Osgiliath was under attack. It left the young captain with minimal options. He told the officer to get ready to leave, then turned to the others. "The Ring will go to Gondor," he said, and he left. As soon as he did, Ginny let out a stream of very colorful language.

"I don't _believe_ him!" cried Hermione, "_What_ is his problem!"

Ginny sighed. "I guess in the long run, you really can't blame him. He's got his army to look out for, his father's expectations are sky-high and continually mounting, and I don't think he really understands what that ring can do. He thinks that if he uses this to save his country, everything he ever wanted in life will come true."

Frodo was breathing heavily. That last Ring attack was clearly still getting to him. "Are you ok Frodo?" asked Ginny with concern.

"Yes," he replied, "Thank you."

"It's fine, I understand," she said with a smile. "I'd better see what the other soldiers are up too." She headed for the door, then turned back. "Sorry about Faramir you guys, he isn't usually like this."

"I know," said Hermione, "I could tell. What about Sméagol?"

"He'll be fine, they won't hurt him. And if they do, I'll see if I can't fix it."

* * *

Ron and Gimli were walking along the walls, gazing around at the magnificent fortress. As Ron turned and looked out into the distance, he thought he saw two blurs coming closer and closer. "What d'you reckon that is?" he asked Gimli. 

"I'm not sure," he replied, "Where's that elf when you need him!"

They waited, and soon Ron could see it was two riders approaching Helm's Deep at top speed. After a minute or so, however, he was positive he was hallucinating.

"Oh Merlin," he croaked, "It can't be!"

Gimli looked over the wall and gasped. Sure enough, Harry and Aragorn were alive.

Cries came up along the walls, "Open the gates! Open the gates!" The pair rode in and dismounted, wincing slightly as they did so.

"Wow," muttered Harry, "We made it!"

Both of them could hear two very familiar voices yelling, "Where are they? Where are they? Get out of the way; I'm gonna kill 'em!" and, "Hey people move over, come on, that's my best friend over there, _move_!" Harry watched with some amusement as a couple of people went flying. A spilt second later he was tackled in a hug.

"Ron…get…off…I…think I….broke a couple of….ribs…"

"Oh is that all?" asked Ron sarcastically, "Stop doing this kind of stuff to me! What is this, the millionth time I thought you were dead?"

"Actually, I think it's the fifth."

"Whatever. How did you survive?"

"I'll tell you in a minute, we've got a bigger problem on our hands!"

"You need to see the king?" asked Gimli. Surprised, Harry nodded. Gimli shrugged. "That way," he said, pointing at Aragorn, who was already disappearing into the crowd.

"Why? What's the matter?" asked Ron.

"I'll tell you after we talk to Théoden," replied Harry.

A/N: To my reviewers:

**Catwraith: **Thank you! I'll see if I can post sooner!

**Lisa Riddle: **Well, actually, what I meant by the Legolas pairing was that a couple of chapters ago I asked if you guys wanted me to write a sequel where the Fellowship comes to Hogwarts. The answer was yes, so I figured I'd do a Legolas pairing there. I can't do it in this story because Hermione is with Frodo and Ginny is in Gondor and all the other female characters are at Hogwarts. But I'd definitely like to try my hand at romance, only as a subplot, I don't trust myself with a whole story! As for the fall, I forgot about the Neville thing, but don't forget that when Harry fell off his broom in third year he didn't bounce. Silly Ron, not to think of that kind of thing! All I can say is that I've noticed when people are in a state of shock, panic, grief, or all of the above, they don't tend to think straight. (I certainly don't!) ;)

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **Yup, I'm lengthening my chaps! Once school is done for the summer, I'll be able to devote my time to more writing! I agree with you about high school feeling stressful, sometimes I really wish it could end! I would much rather go to Hogwarts! (sigh) I'll try to bring up the Fearsome Foursome more often, and I think I might be able to bring Arwen back in before the end of the Return of the King. It'll be a bit tricky though, considering it doesn't really affect the HP characters. Hermione was a bit involved though…Anyway, so sorry about Faramir, but I also really want Ginny to see Frodo getting all possessed and stuff, and I really need to do it movie way because I haven't finished reading that particular bit of Two Towers, and would never get it right.

**Eclipse: **If the literate will inherit the earth, then that's great news for me, as I am a bookworm myself! (I was kinda poking fun at myself there!) hehe Poor Ron, at least he has Legolas and Gimli to look after him now (And no one messes with the Dynamic Duo, as I sometimes like to call them!)

**Eleniel of the Stars: **Thank you! I hope you were ok about Faramir in this chapter (going between book and movie personality is a little stressful at times!)

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Yeah, Luna would love it there! I have an idea about her, I wish I'd put her in here, grr! I'm so stupid! Oh well. Glad you liked it!

**SalanTrong: **Yay! You reviewed again! And by doing this, you made a certain author very happy!

**Beautystar: **It's funny you should say that, because as a matter of fact: I HATE THE YANKEES! OMG I did not know there was a player on the team named Arod, that actually really is the horse's name. It's ok, I actually found that funny, considering I'm a big Mets fan and can't stand the Yankees! Weird stuff…

**Lialesca: **Bea! YAY! Glad to have some support from family and friends! It's interesting, 'cause I hardly show my work to family and friends, I figure when I'm online, I'm anonymous, so it doesn't really matter if no one likes my writing! I'm happy you like it though!

**Brandy Lebeau: **Hey fellow writer! I would read your story, but there's one small problem: I know next to nothing about X-Men! I know, it's a tragedy in some ways, but all I know is that the people are mutants. That's it. I'll try and post as fast as I can!

**Darknesscomes: **Thank you!

**Genvessel: **Congratulations on graduating! That is an excellent excuse for getting behind with fanfics; I hope you had an amazing day! Shelob's lair…groans…I hate that part too, but I'm going to try to make it all very emotional as we get to that part. I hope it all turns out well!

**Mischievous Puck: **Let's say this should be the last "high-strung" Hermione chapter. I'm sorry if you found her annoying, but as she starts to see the true evil of the Ring, its effect on Faramir and Frodo, etc., she should start to get to be less of a know-it-all. I'll try. I'm glad you like the others though! I honestly don't think I could include Elladan and Elohir, because I really don't know that much about them, except what I read in fanfics, and I really prefer going by movie or canon, to tell you the truth.


	21. Preparing for Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I apologize for the long wait. Now that school is almost out, and the computer is fixed, updates should be more frequent.

Chapter 21: Preparing for Battle

News traveled quickly through Helm's Deep, but everybody who heard it couldn't believe their ears. One minute they were mourning the loss of Aragorn and Harry, the next minute they were welcoming them back!

Ron and Gimli quickly brought Harry up to speed with what had happened in the battle after he fell. They were all pleased to see the looks on Legolas and Eowyn's faces when they first saw Aragorn. Then the pair made a somewhat dramatic entrance into the hall where the king was.

"_Ten thousand_!" whispered Théoden in shock. Aragorn and Harry had just delivered the bad news about the army headed for Helm's Deep.

The ranger nodded grimly. "It is an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of Men. They will be here by nightfall." He paused to let this sink in.

"Blimey," groaned Ron, who had started to turn green, "I don't think we can handle that!"

Théoden, on the other hand, was quick to hide his panic. "Let them come," he said, and walked out of the room. The others followed him. Ron started to leave as well when Harry grabbed his arm.

"Wait Ron, I need to ask you something."

"What is it Harry?"

Harry had just gotten an idea. It had suddenly dawned on him that this might be one of Ron's strong points. "You're really good at chess and everything."

"Yeah…"

"And that involves using logic and strategy, right?"

"Harry, what're you getting at here?"

"I'll bet you'd be real good at coming up with battle plans!"

Ron looked slightly surprised. "Wow! I dunno Harry, I'd have to see the rest of the fortress…"

"What've you been doing for the past few hours!"

"This place is big Harry. Really big. Anyway I also need to be able to anticipate what the Uruk-hai might do. If I have an idea of how the enemy attacks, I'll be able to come up with a plan…"

"I knew you'd want to! Come on, let's catch up with Théoden and the rest and here what they have to say."

* * *

_Three hours later…_

"Are you lot done yet?" grumbled Fred.

Treebeard turned around to say three words: "Don't be hasty." This was met with groans from the boys.

"Uh, define "hasty"," said George. Treebeard, however, had turned back to the meeting and chose not to answer.

"Anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?" suggested Fred.

"How d'you play that?" asked Pippin.

"_You've never played Exploding Snap!_" chorused the twins in shock and horror.

"You're in another world, remember?" said Merry.

"Yeah, but how could Harry not have told you?" asked George in disbelief.

"I guess he forgot."

"Well, lucky for you, we always keep a deck on us, just in case," said Fred, pulling out some cards.

"Just how much do you keep in your pockets?" asked Pippin.

"You don't want to know," said Fred, as he started dealing out the cards, "For now, just try to sit back and learn the greatest card game ever invented!"

* * *

Théoden was relating to the others his strategy by the gates of Helm's Deep when Harry and Ron came up. They could tell that neither Aragorn, Legolas, nor Gimli were very impressed. They seemed to think everyone was doomed. Harry couldn't really blame them, considering their predicament, but they could make an effort to be a bit more optimistic. It wasn't over yet. 

Ron was examining the wall. "How thick is this?" he asked Théoden, "Could an army break through it, or climb it?"

"No, that's not possible," replied the king.

"So I guess they'd have to use ladders…" said Ron, his voice trailing off. "We should probably have a lot of men along the wall, but I don't think we should try killing them as they come up, we'd have to try to get rid of the ladders so they can't use them again."

"How would we do that?" asked Aragorn.

"Knock them over?" suggested Gimli.

"Nah, they'll just bring 'em back up. No, I've got a better idea," Ron had an evil grin on his face, "Let's light them on fire!"

"You mean, you and me run around and do that?" asked Harry incredulously, "I don't think we could go that fast."

"Of course we can't. What we do is have torches ready along the walls, and we light them on the ladders!"

"It's a good idea, but it would take too long for the fire to spread," said Legolas.

"Well, I suppose we could throw oil on them or something similar to it," said Harry, "It would catch on pretty quick if we did that."

"I don't think we have enough oil for something that big," replied Théoden.

"Well it was worth a shot," grumbled Ron, not looking too pleased that his idea wasn't being accepted by everyone. Gimli seemed to read his mind.

"We might as well try lighting them, if they use ladders at all. The worst that can happen is it won't work."

"Fine," said Aragorn, "But what of the wall?"

"Looks pretty thick to me," replied Ron, running his fingers over it, "Harry, we'd better put an Unbreakable Charm on it, and an Impertuable Charm too,just in case."

"Good idea."

"How long will that magic last?" asked Théoden.

"As long as we want it too," replied Ron, "At least, I think it will. Neither of us have tried something this big before."

"There's always a first time though," added Harry hastily, in order to make the others' worried expressions disappear.

"Are you sure about all this?" asked Legolas.

"Positive," said Ron, "Let's go back in."

* * *

BANG! For what felt like the millionth time, there was an explosion from the corner where the Fearsome Foursome sat. Then there was a jubilant cry. "I win again!" yelled Pippin, "I _love_ this game!" 

"Only because you're the only one winning," grumbled George. He was now beginning to regret ever teaching the hobbits Exploding Snap.

Treebeard turned to the friends. "Would you please try to keep it down?" he asked, "We cannot concentrate on our meeting!"

"We can try, but I doubt we'll get very far," replied Fred, starting to deal the cards, "_This_ time you won't beat us Pippin!"

"That's what you've said after every game. Yet, somehow I always manage to continue my streak!"

"Don't start getting cocky now," said Merry, "I nearly had you last time!"

"You _thought_ you had me. It was all part of the plan."

"_Plan!_" laughed George, "You don't have enough energy up there to begin making a plan!"

"Do too," pouted Pippin.

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"I'm sorry boys, but you simply must be quiet!" said Treebeard, who had all but snapped.

There was a loud groan as they sadly put the cards away. "Next time Pippin," whispered Fred, "You just wait. Next time we'll crush you!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

* * *

Dawn was approaching as Faramir's troops approached Osgiliath. Frodo and Sam were feeling desperate. If these rangers brought the Ring to Gondor, their Quest would be all but lost. Ginny was silently fuming. She was in charge of guarding Gollum. Once again, she was being dragged around like an almost useless piece of luggage, never allowed to fight, always having to stay where it was safe. Heck, she was the only one who knew magic! She could be just as good as the other soldiers. Where _did_ men come up with the idea that women couldn't fight! Ginny knew she should also be worried and angry over the Ring situation, but she hadn't really fully grasped the danger of it. She was more concerned about the effect it had on Frodo, and had decided to stay nearer to him in an almost protective position. 

But while the others were scared, confused, desperate, or angry, Hermione remained calm and thoughtful. She was pondering on the true nature of the Ring. She knew what had happened on Amon Hen with Boromir, and she had always had a suspicion that Harry was attracted to it too. But she had never actually seen what it did. She should've been tipped off when she first saw Gollum, but she could never picture that the wretched creature used to be a hobbit himself. It just didn't look right to her. But now she saw what Faramir had almost done, and she knew the danger of their Quest.

A sudden thought struck Hermione. Was she in danger of the lure of the Ring? She had never considered it before. It had always just been that object around Frodo's neck, the thing they were going to destroy. She had never seen it as an object of great power, until now.

Osgiliath came into view. It was the ruins of what had once been a beautiful city by the river Anduin. In a way, Hermione thought, it looked sad. But that emotion turned to fear when she saw it was under attack. For the first time since Moria, she might become involved in a real battle.

Frodo tried reasoning with Faramir one last time, but it was no good. The captain's mind was made up. Together, they all marched to the besieged city.

* * *

Inside Helm's Deep, the atmosphere was grim. Despite Ron's good plans, the idea that they would soon be fighting for their lives against 10,000 Uruk-hai was slightly daunting. The women and children were being herded into the caves, supplies were being checked, and all the time the two people who should've been resting were always on the go, despite their friends' pleading. Aragorn and Harry were men of action, and they would not slow down now, not when everyone needed them. Besides, Aragorn had another problem on his hands that had nothing to do with fighting. 

Eowyn was upset, apparently because she wasn't allowed to fight with the other men. But there was another reason why, and it all became clear as she confronted Aragorn.

"To tell you the truth," said Ron as she stormed away into the caves, "I think you handled that quite well mate, although I've got no idea what she was talking about."

Aragorn didn't respond. He had turned pale. "What's up?" asked Ron with concern.

"Uh, Aragorn? I think she likes you," said Harry, who also looked slightly upset.

"_What!_" asked Ron. He looked from one friend to the other. Their expressions were one of grim agreement. Then he burst out laughing. "HA! I KNEW IT!" He leaned against the wall for support. Harry hadn't seen him laugh so hard since the night Cho kissed him under the mistletoe. "Oh Merlin," Ron breathed, still chuckling, "This is great! You guys together! It's perfect!"

"Uh Ron, could you shut up?" asked Harry nervously. It appeared that his friend didn't realize what was happening.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron, clearly puzzled, "Oh I get it. You don't like her back."

Aragorn nodded numbly.

"Don't worry mate. She's actually pretty cool once you get to know her."

"That's not it," muttered Harry. He began to pull Ron along. This wasn't really the time or place to discuss such matters. But he should know the problem. It wasn't fair to leave his best friend in the dark, even over something he found rather trivial compared to the problems in the world.

"What is it then?" asked Ron, confusion evident.

Harry leaned in and muttered, "He already loves someone else."

"What? Who?"

Harry quickly summarized the whole Arwen story to him. Ron nodded slowly in understanding. "Well," he said, "If I know Eowyn, she won't like taking this lying down. Never has, probably never will."

"She'd better get used to it. He won't change his mind."

* * *

Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin were tired, hungry, and above all: bored. They could barely believe when Pippin meekly suggested that the Ents must've decided something by now, only to hear from Treebeard that they had just finished saying "Good morning." 

"By the time they actually come to a decision, this war will be over," moaned Fred.

"Yeah, and who knows who would be the winner," added Merry grimly.

There was a sudden loud snore. George had fallen asleep. His twin hit him. "Wake up!"

"Huh? What? I didn't do it! I'm not an orc!" yelled George, sitting straight up.

"Easy mate, you're at the Entmoot remember?"

"Oh yeah," yawned George, "Don't tell me they're still at it."

"They're still at it," said Pippin.

"I told you not to tell me that!"

"Well you can't exactly deny it," replied Pippin, pointing at the Ents.

George sighed deeply. "Anyone got anything to eat?"

"I have some lembas," said Merry.

"I got a Chocolate Frog," said Fred.

"What's that?" asked Pippin curiously.

"See for yourself," replied Fred, opening the wrapper. The frog leaped out and landed in Pippin's lap.

"You eat brown frogs?" he asked, horrified.

"No silly, those are candies. They're charmed to jump, but that's about it. Try it."

Pippin took a bite. His eyes widened in pleasure. "Mmmm," he said, "It tastes like chocolate!"

"It is chocolate you idiot. Why else do you think they call 'em 'Chocolate Frogs'?"

"Oh," said Pippin, eating the rest of the candy, "Right."

After that little episode, the four continued their long, almost unbearable wait for the Ents' final decision.

* * *

Back at Helm's Deep, Théoden had assembled every man that could use a sword to fight in the coming battle. The total was about 300 men. Not very impressive, something that a thoroughly anxious Legolas was quick to point out. Aragorn, on the other hand, was trying to remain hopeful about the situation. The result was an argument in Elvish that no one else could understand until Aragorn shouted out in pure English, "Then I shall die as one of them!" He then turned and stormed out of the room. 

"Whoa," said Ron, "What on earth did you say to him!"

Legolas didn't answer. He started after Aragorn, then thought better of it. He turned and stormed in the opposite direction.

"This isn't good," said Harry, "We can't have them fighting, or we'll never get anything done."

"Do you reckon we should talk to them?" asked Ron.

"That's a good idea," said Harry, nodding, "I'll talk to Aragorn, and you can talk to Legolas."

"Nah," said Ron, with a slight grin, "We always do it that way. Let's switch this time."

"Are you sure?" asked Harry, "We've got a friendship at stake here!"

"Of course I'm sure! Don't you trust me?"

"Well, of course!"

"Then let's go already!"

* * *

Aragorn hadn't gone far. He was sitting outside on the steps that led to the main doors, watching the others prepare for battle. Ron could see he was obviously deep in thought, but still had the nerve to approach him anyway. He sat next to the ranger and, when Aragorn didn't acknowledge his presence, cleared his throat. 

Aragorn looked up with a start. "Yes?" he asked Ron, "What is it?"

Ron wasn't exactly sure where to begin. He hadn't even given a thought to what he was going to say. Maybe he should've left this particular job to Harry. But it was too late now.

"Erm, well, listen mate, about what happened back there in the Hall…" his voice trailed off.

Aragorn sighed. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that, but I don't believe we should be giving up yet."

"Me neither. But maybe you should be looking at it from Legolas' point of view."

"What do you mean?"

Ron took a deep breath, trying to put his feelings and suspicions into words. "Well, I wouldn't know too much about being immortal, never having gone through it myself, but I imagine in some ways it's got to be great because you never have to worry about dying."

"Actually Ron, the elves in Middle Earth can die, if they get murdered or killed in battle. They just don't get sick or grow old."

"Exactly! So if it were me, and I went my whole life thinking I was never going to die, and had all these years ahead of me, I think I would be just a bit nervous if I suddenly got the idea that it was all about to be cut short in one major battle."

"I see what you are saying, but I don't think Legolas thinks that way."

"Well _I_ don't know!" cried Ron, throwing up his hands in exasperation, "I'm just trying to help! You know him better than I do! All I'm saying is you guys should give your words a bit more thought before you actually say them!"

"Like you you mean?" asked Aragorn with a slight smirk.

"Ok, maybe I don't always follow my own advice! I just wish you guys wouldn't start fighting amongst yourselves now, when we're going to be up to our ears in battling in a few hours!"

"I understand Ron," said Aragorn, who was now smiling a little, "Thank you for your advice, but Legolas and I will patch things up ourselves. We always have before."

"Ok," Ron sighed. He had no idea why he had suggested this to Harry. He wasn't good at these heart-to-heart discussions. But it was over and done now. Staring out at the walls, he said aloud, "I sure wish we had more elves like Legolas around here. We could use some archers to decrease the Uruk-hai before they even get to the wall."

"The Rohirrm have some good archers," murmured Aragorn, "But it's true that no one can match the skills of elves. Still, the chances of a troop of elves suddenly showing up here is very slim."

"Ah well," said Ron, "We've got one, and he's the best I've ever seen. We'll just have to make do with what we've got."

* * *

The elf in question was still inside. It took Harry longer to find him then it did for Ron to find Aragorn. That was because in times of distress, some elves tended to go to secluded areas where they could think. Unfortunately for Legolas, he didn't have too much time to do that since Harry came bursting in a few minutes later. 

"There…you…are…been…looking…everywhere…" panted Harry, clutching a stitch in his chest.

"Are you alright?" asked Legolas in concern, "Have the Uruks been sighted?"

"What? No, they haven't. I didn't come to tell you about that."

"What did you come here for then?"

Harry paused, then spit it out, "Why are you so mad at Aragorn? What on earth were you guys saying?"

Legolas sighed and looked away. "It was nothing really Harry."

"Don't give me that. It's the first time I've ever seen Aragorn yell at one of his friends!"

Legolas turned back to face Harry. "I just don't think we can do this. How can a small army like this defeat 10,000 powerful Uruk-hai? It's just not possible."

"Excuse me? Is this the same guy who shouted down Boromir at the Council of Elrond because he said destroying the Ring was impossible?"

Legolas paused. It was true. Now that Harry mentioned it, he had changed. Had it really been that long ago that they had all volunteered to go with Frodo to Mount Doom? It felt like an age, but it had really only been a few months. Now they were all split up, forming their own little alliances to fight off Sauron's armies the best they could. In all honesty, this experience could be truly terrifying at times.

"I gotta say," added Harry, "That this doesn't have to be the end. I remember when I saw Voldemort come back, and I was trapped in that graveyard surrounded by Death Eaters. I really thought I was going to die. But I didn't. I survived, and I know we can do it again. Besides, Aragorn's are leader, at least when Gandalf's not here. If he thinks we can get through, then we will. And Ron does know some brilliant strategies. I don't think it's possible to beat him in chess!"

Legolas had turned away again slightly, so Harry could not see his full expression, though he appeared to be deep in thought. When he turned around, Harry could see that he was smiling ever so slightly. "Thank you Harry," he said quietly, "I'll take your word for it, although I have no idea what chess is."

Harry grinned back, and they left the room silently together.

A few minutes later, Harry and Ron had gotten on all their battle gear, along with the rest of their friends. Harry felt slightly awkward with all the heavy equipment on; it was nothing like the light stuff he put on at Quidditch. Ron was already used to it from his days as a Rider.

Just then a horn sounded. They all froze. But it wasn't the sound from the Uruk-hai army, as Legolas was quick to recognize. This was something else. Harry and Ron were in the lead as they raced up the stairs and peered over the wall. It was an army approaching, but those weren't orcs. In fact, Harry thought he recognized the flag they were carrying. He leaned over slightly, screwing his eyes in concentration. Then…

"Hey!" he said, "Isn't that a flag from Lothlorien?"

"Yes," breathed Aragorn. He sounded shocked.

"Whoa," muttered Ron, "You mean these are _elves_?"

The others nodded, watching as the troops marched in. There weren't many, maybe about 300, but with these skilled soldiers here to fight, the odds of Rohan losing in battle had lessened quite a bit.

**To my excellent, patient reviewers:**

**Eclipse:** Yeah, one of the reasons why I put Ginny where I did and make Faramir act the way he did was so that Ginny could see how the Ring affected Frodo. There was no other way to do it. Sorry if I didn't update fast, my computer has just decided to stop being stupid, for which I am extremely grateful.

**Genvessel: **You can take a class in college on Tolkien? That's so cool! I wanna do that! Yeah, I missed the whole thing about Sam, sorry, but have that scene pretty much planned out, and I like it, so I'm going to stick to it. Thanks for reviewing!

**Brandy Lebeau: **'Ello there! I actually started reading your story, and I really liked it, but I never finished it. I'll get around to it ASAP.

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **(grins) Leave it to me to take the saddest, most serious parts of the book and turn them into something amusing. I'm glad you thought those exchanges were funny; they were supposed to be, in a weird sort of way. I truly love those guys. And I love that you review! Thanks!

**Mischievous Puck: **Like I said before, I have read parts of the books, and this great book called The Origins of Tolkien's Middle Earth for Dummies. So I've got the general idea, and if there's a part from the books that I liked, I'll add it in. But I don't know too much about Elladan and Elohir, except that they are Elrond's twin sons, and I also noticed that on Fanfiction authors portray them as elves that like to cause trouble. But that's really all I know.

**Darknesscomes: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **That's ok, I miss chapters in stories I read sometimes too. I'm just glad you like how I'm doing.

**MusiqMistress: **Wow. I'm brilliant! YAY! Thanks a lot, that makes me feel good about this particular hobby of mine.

**Suuki-Aldrea: **Thanks, I'll let you know if I need any help. What are the History of Middle Earth books like, 'cause I've never read those either. And what, may I ask, does "Ja ne" mean? Just wondering.

**Light-Dark8562: **Thanks, I enjoy putting these guys together!

**Catwraith: **I love that part too! I was basically poking fun at how my brother and his friends seem to put sports as their top priority. I can't help but wonder if he was falling off a cliff whether or not he'd be thinking along those. But then again, I don't like to think of my brother falling off a cliff, as he is one of my closest friends. Well, what did you think of the latest chapter that I took so long to write?

**Infallallthingsaremadesplendid: **Yay, Helm's Deep! I can't tell you about Ginny, you'll find out within the next couple of chapters. Only 3 more in TTT!

**Brownie/Melody: **I write crossovers mostly. I have a lot of ideas in my head, and I'd love to write some Pirates of the Caribbean crossovers, though not with Harry or LotR. I should post my possible upcoming stories on my bio. I'm also planning on writing more adventures with Harry and the Fellowship, because I love HP/LotR crossovers too. I'm happy to know you liked mine!

**Lauren546: **Hey there! I loved your story too! I usually try to update weekly, depending on how much time I have. But now that school's out, I should do it on a regular basis. There should be about 37 chapters, and an Epilogue. Unfortunately I accidentally deleted my outline, so I'm going to have to rewrite that. It helps me figure out what I put in each chap.


	22. Attack on Helm's Deep

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. Also, the infamous "movie lines" in here, well, some of them aren't true "movie lines", they're a bit more like adaptations, meaning that they're not really the same ones, I just twisted them up a bit to serve the purposes of the story.

Chapter 22: Attack on Helm's Deep

Harry, Ron, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli ran down the stairs as fast as they could to meet the elves. When they got there, Harry was pleased to see a familiar face leading the troops of Lothlorien. "Haldir!" he called out. The elf looked up, saw them, and smiled in greeting. Aragorn and Legolas rushed over to receive a friendly embrace.

Harry and Gimli followed, then noticed that Ron wasn't with them. He was standing a little ways back, looking awkward. "Haldir," said Harry, "This is my friend, Ron Weasley. Ron, this is Haldir, from Lothlorien. I've mentioned him to you before, remember?"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, and the two shook hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Haldir warmly. Then he turned to continue speaking to a stunned Théoden. "We are proud to fight alongside men once more," he said.

* * *

At this point, only Pippin was still awake. The others had fallen asleep, even Merry, and this was very important to him. Finally, Treebeard turned around, and it wasn't to scold the four for being hasty.

Pippin shook his friends awake. They were up in an instant when they realized what was going on.

"We have just agreed," said Treebeard.

There was a long pause. Then George spoke up, "What did you decide?"

Treebeard snapped back to reality. "I have told your names to the Entmoot, and we have agreed: You are not orcs."

Four identical mouths dropped open. "No offense, but didn't you already decide that?" asked Fred.

"It had to be officially declared by the Entmoot," explained Treebeard.

"_And you just figured that out!_" asked George incredulously.

"What about Saruman?" asked Merry.

"Now don't be hasty Master Meriadoc," said Treebeard.

"_Hasty!_ WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR TEN #$&&(# HOURS!" screamed Fred. George, Merry, Pippin, Treebeard, and the rest of the Ents turned to stare at him in shock. But there was no stopping Fred now. He was on a roll. "FRODO'S OUT THERE TRYING TO DESTORY A RING, AND THE REST OF MY FRIENDS ARE PROBABLY FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES AGAINST SARUMAN, WHO'S SENDING OUT MORE MASSIVE ARMIES BY THE MINUTE, AND WHAT ARE WE DOING? SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A STUPID FOREST WHILE THE REST OF OUR FRIENDS ARE IN DANGER, WAITING FOR YOU TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO, AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS _DON'T BE HASTY!_"

"Whoa," said George, "Take some deep breaths Fred. You're starting to sound like Harry."

Fred, whose cheeks were flushed from his sudden outburst, actually took his brother's advice. "Wow," he muttered, "I never meant to lose it like that."

Merry and Pippin were staring at him in a sort of stupefied awe. George wasn't as shocked, they had both lost their tempers, especially with their mother, plenty of times before. But neither one of them had spoken that passionately before, or had actually revealed true anxiety over world affairs. They had always had a calm nature, knowing that with their cleverness and skills in pranks and escaping, they could pretty much get away with anything, and everything would be ok.

But now, as George was quickly beginning to realize, everything was not ok. They were as far away from home as possible, their brother, sister, and friends from Hogwarts were probably in danger, they had seen Boromir die trying to protect them from the Uruk-hai, a brave attempt that ultimately failed, as they had still been captured…and now here they sat, watching a bunch of old trees take their good sweet time trying to decide whether they should actually help the rest of the world or not. George had to admit to himself, it was a pretty helpless-looking situation for them, and he could not really blame Fred for letting his frustration pour out. Even Merry and Pippin would have to agree, right now, their position in life seemed all but useless.

Fred had now calmed down considerably. "Sorry Treebeard," he said. The old Ent, however, looked thoughtful.

"You are very young," he said slowly, "Therefore; you cannot possibly fully understand our ways. I try to understand how you always love to rush into things, but it is too difficult for me. The Ents are slow and patient. We take our time with everything. You must also understand Master Fred, it takes a long time to say anything in old Entish, and we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say." He waited for a response, but at this point the four were learning it would be useless to argue. So they simply went against their nature, plopped themselves down under the tree where they had been resting, and fell asleep.

* * *

Back at Helm's Deep, everything was quiet, but Harry knew it was simply the calm before the storm. He was right in more ways then one. For one thing, it started to rain, and also he soon began to see the distant lights of many torches and the sound of many marching feet. The Uruk-hai had arrived.

Lightening flashed, and thunder roared. The elves and Rohirric soldiers stayed perfectly still, waiting and watching. Harry had been following Aragorn around, until the ranger ordered him to stay by the wall above the gate, in case anyone tried to breach. One could never tell, the spell might wear off and they would need reinforcements.

Ron stood beside Legolas and Gimli, who was grumbling because he was too small to see over the wall. The other two glanced at each other and then quickly looked away before they burst out laughing.

Harry watched the approaching army nervously. Time seemed to stand still. Every little noise, from the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the stone, to the beating of his own heart, seemed unusually loud. _Calm down_, he thought to himself, _Remember what you told Legolas. Remember that this isn't the end. _Come to think of it, what _had_ he told Legolas? Something about not worrying? _Yeah right_, he thought. Right now all Harry could see and remember was 10,000 Uruks that would rip him to pieces as soon as look at him. He began to breathe very fast. He had just escaped death falling off a cliff, could he do it again? _No,_ he thought, panic rising quickly.

Just then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Harry spun around, ready to strike, when he saw it was only Aragorn. "Are you alright Harry?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh-yeah I'm fine," he muttered, "Where are Ron, Legolas, and Gimli?"

"Over there, by the front part of the wall." Catching Harry's nervous glance in their direction, he added, "Don't worry, they're not in any immediate danger. And they're among the best fighters I've ever seen. It's better that they're situated in an area where they can do the most damage to the Uruks."

Harry nodded, but he didn't feel any better. He knew from experience that the only time his nerves were calmed in this state was when he actually began to do the thing he was dreading.

* * *

Ron stared wide-eyed over the walls, as the marching Uruk-hai grew closer and closer, occasionally illuminated by lightening. Their leader was standing on a rock so that he could be clearly seen above all the others. He roared, and they stopped.

Ron's teeth were gritted, and he stared down at his enemy with a look of defiance. The Uruks had began roaring and stamping their feet. "They're trying to intimidate us," Ron muttered, "Always let the enemy attack first. We can't make the first move."

The words had no sooner left his mouth when an old Rohirric soldier accidentally let loose an arrow that hit one of the Uruks below in the neck. It died instantly and dropped to the ground.

"Uh-oh," said Ron.

"Well so much for not making the first move, eh?" said Gimli.

"Tell me about it," came the reply.

The Uruk-hai roared in anger and raced for the wall, spears out and gleaming. Théoden watched them coming as he stood next to his officers. "And so it begins," he said.

And indeed it had. Aragorn began shouting commands in Elvish that Legolas translated for Ron to understand; it was time to get out their arrows.

"It's no go," said Ron, "I couldn't shoot to save my life. I'm better with a sword."

"And I with an ax," said Gimli, stroking the blade almost fondly.

"_Hado I philin_," screamed Aragorn. The archers let go of their bowstrings and soon arrows were flying everywhere, all hitting their intended victim. But there was no time to celebrate yet. The Uruk-hai continued to replace each other, and they were getting closer and closer to the wall.

Harry stood watching all this from above the gate. He didn't have much to do yet, because nothing had gotten to the huge doors yet.

"_Harry!_" Harry turned and saw Aragorn yelling to him and pointing out and down. "_Tell your men to fire!_"

_Whoops_, thought Harry, _Guess we should've been doing something after all_. He pointed in the direction of the Uruks and screamed, "FIRE!" He was a bit surprised to that the men obeyed him at once. He hadn't had this type of power since the DA.

* * *

"Look," said Ron, "They're bringing ladders."

Legolas looked out. "Uh-oh," he said.

"What now?" asked Ron.

"Your idea about the torches won't work."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because they're made of metal, not wood."

Ron's shoulders slumped. "You're right. We're in trouble," he groaned.

"I'm sorry," said Legolas, "It was a good idea."

"Yeah," said Ron, "Up until this point."

Gimli, however, looked pleased. Finally, there was something he could do. As one of the ladders came up and a huge Uruk was about to jump down, Gimli nailed him with a quick stroke of his ax. More quickly followed.

"Legolas!" Gimli called out, gloating, "Two already!"

"I'm on seventeen!" Legolas shouted back.

"WHAT! I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" screamed Gimli in mock rage, and he took down another orc.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Ron.

"We're having a contest!" yelled Gimli, "Whoever cuts down the most of these foul beasts wins!"

"That would be me!" called Legolas. He fired another arrow. "Nineteen!"

"Who said it was going to be you?" challenged Ron. He took his sword and decapitated two Uruks with a single blow. "That's two right there!"

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to keep up with me laddie!" yelled Gimli, "That's five!"

"Four!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Twenty-four!"

"Oh shut up Legolas," cried Ron. "I'm catching up to you both and you know it!"

"Carry on then," said Legolas cheerfully. It was a rather odd situation: here they were, in an epic battle, and all they cared about was who killed the most Uruk-hai. It was like the three of them had completely forgotten the danger they were in.

* * *

Harry hadn't forgotten the danger _he _was in. His troops had to stop firing by the wall and focus their attentions on the main gate. The Uruks were carrying a battering ram towards them, and they were also carrying shields in the front, back, and top of the procession.

Aragorn saw this and pointed it out to some elven archers. The Uruk-hai had one major flaw: they had no shields on the sides. That just wasn't possible. So the elves simply aimed their arrows at the sides of the ram, and picked off its carriers that way.

Harry watched all this from the gate. The elves were good, but somehow the Uruks still managed to get the battering ram ready, and started to run for the door. A running start was sure to create a big impact.

Or so they thought. Saruman's troops hadn't counted on being up against an Imperturbable Charm. Just before impact, the ram hit the charm and went flying out of the Uruks' hands, landing somewhere below and crushing some of the army. Then the arrows from Harry's group went flying, killing all the Uruk-hai lying dazed by the gate. The men cheered. "Wow," said Harry to himself, "That attack went pretty well!"

* * *

Meanwhile Gimli was furious. Not only had Ron caught up to him in their game, but the young wizard had actually _surpassed_ him and was now in second place. No one had gotten too close to Legolas yet. But that was understandable, as he had had a head start.

Quite apart from excitement in improving his score, Ron was feeling a bit relieved. This wasn't so hard. In fact, if they kept it up for a few hours, there might very well be no more Uruk-hai left and they would be safe for the time being, unless Saruman struck again. But by that time they could go out and hunt for more supplies, get well-rested and be fresh for battle when it came. Yes, Ron was sure that things would turn out alright. After all, what more could these guys come up with?

He was about to find out.

Aragorn saw it first. Some of the Uruk-hai were carry what looked like huge, spiky balls and placing them next to the small drain in the wall. _What are they doing? _he wondered. Then he saw something that nearly made his heart stop. It was a Uruk carrying a sizzling torch. Aragorn had never seen a bomb before, but he knew an exploding device when he saw one. And this would surely create a huge gap in the wall.

Harry saw it too. "_Stupefy!_" he yelled, but missed. He tried again, "_Stupefy!_" while Aragorn ordered Legolas to kill it. This time the spell met its mark. The orc fell, stunned, but it did no good. Another Uruk caught the torch and ran in to ignite the bomb...

* * *

"HA! I got twenty!" gloated Ron. Legolas heard him, stopped shooting at the orc with the torch, turned around, and his eyes widened in horror as he saw that his friend was standing right on top of the section with the drain.

"RON GET OUT!"

"Huh?" said Ron, oblivious to the danger he was in.

"GET OUT! IT'S GOING TO…"

BOOM! Legolas never finshed his sentence. The wall exploded.

* * *

Deep in Fangorn Forest, Treebeard woke up the boys to tell them the verdict. "The Ents cannot hold back this storm. We must weather such things as we have always done."

"You woke us up to tell us _that_?" asked George angrily.

"This is not our war," stated Treebeard simply.

"How can it _not_ be your war?" asked Fred, "You guys are almost as bad as our Ministry of Magic, and that's saying something!"

"You must help!" begged Merry. Pippin remained silent. He wasn't really sure what to say.

"You boys are young and brave, but your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home," said Treebeard firmly. Then he turned his back to them to say goodbye to some of his fellow Ents, as they were all leaving.

"But we _can't_ go home," said George. The very words seemed to fill him with an emotion he had never really had before: despair.

"You could always come live with us in the Shire," said Pippin.

"Hey YEAH!" said Fred more cheerfully, "We can visit that place you're always talking about, The Green Dragon, and steal Farmer Maggot's mushrooms, and pull pranks on the hobbits, and…"

"You don't understand," said Merry, looking the others right in the eye, "There won't be a Shire if we don't do something."

Those few words had quite an impact on them. Suddenly the stakes had been raised. If Sauron and Saruman weren't stopped by creatures like the Ents, they would overcome and destroy the rest of the world. Merry was right. The situation looked pretty desperate at this point.

This simple remark had also gotten Pippin thinking. If the whole world would be destroyed, surely the Ents would go along with it? How come they couldn't see that? Maybe they didn't know. Maybe they didn't understand. How could he, or any of his friends, make them listen? Pippin thought long and hard about this as Treebeard came back to pick them up and take them home.

* * *

The explosion that had taken place in the drain at Helm's Deep ripped the wall apart and sent the soldiers on that section flying. Some were pitched forward and landed in the middle of the Uruk-hai, where they died almost instantly. Some were luckier, like Aragorn, and they were thrown further back into the fortress, where they were temporarily knocked senseless.

Legolas and Gimli were frantically looking around the ruined section of the wall, calling for Ron. He wasn't on any other part of the wall, and Legolas was beginning to fear the worst. Gimli, on the other hand, spotted another friend in danger. The Uruk army had begun to make its way into the fortress, and Aragorn was straight in their path.

With a yell, the dwarf jumped down and attacked! Aragorn shook his head to clear his mind and slowly got up in time to see Gimli go under. Then he saw something else lying a few yards away. It looked like the body of a young soldier, but Aragorn recognized the shock of red hair. "Ron!" he cried.

Ron was lying there, muddy, bruised, and still trying to collect his wits when he heard someone calling his name. He rolled over slowly and stared at the ruined wall without really comprehending the situation. "Wow," he muttered, "That's a really big hole!" Then he saw the Uruk-hai running through and Aragorn leading a charge, being followed by many elves. He cursed and got up. The tables had started to turn in Saruman's direction, and he didn't like it one bit.

* * *

Harry had seen the explosion and was horrified. Worse still, some more Uruk-hai had picked up the battering ram again, only to find they got the same result as before. That was all well and good for Rohan, but Harry felt his energy draining. He hadn't eaten in a while, nor had he rested since he returned from his near-death experience. The result was that he was both physically and emotionally exhausted. He tried not to show it however, shouting encouragement to his fellow soldiers and trying his best to rally them on, the way Oliver Wood, his old Quidditch captain used to do sometimes before and during a Quidditch match.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ron had joined up with Aragorn and Gimli at the breached wall. About a minute later, Legolas took a flat shield and skateboarded down the stairs to help out. "How's it going up there?" asked Ron, while slaying a few vicious Uruks.

"Pretty bad," said Legolas grimly, "The wall's almost overrun with these orcs."

"Well that's not good," replied Ron, "How's that guy Haldir doing?"

"He and his elves are still up there," said Legolas, "He's fine, but we're losing soldiers fast."

As if on cue, Théoden called down to Aragorn to pull back to the Keep. It was too dangerous to keep fighting down there. Their army was slowly getting wiped out. Ron ran up the stairs to let the others know the message, since all their concentration was on fighting. As soon as they saw Ron, however, shouting to retreat, they obeyed at once.

Aragorn could see, though, that Haldir hadn't heard and called up to him. Haldir saw him, nodded once, and waved his troops in the direction of the Keep. He saw Ron and waved him over as well.

What came next would always come to haunt Ron in the grimmest moments of his life.

A particularly huge Uruk-hai came out of nowhere and sliced his sword across Haldir's chest. He gasped and sank to the ground. Then another one came up from behind and stabbed him in the back with an ax.

Ron stood frozen in horror as Aragorn ran up and caught Haldir before he died. The whole terrible scene took his breath away as he saw someone really die for the first time. He had seen or heard of comrades dying in battle, but had never fully witnessed something like this. It was horrible.

Aragorn sadly laid his friend down and then got up to try and escape from the now completely overrun wall. He saw Ron standing there in a sort of stupefied shock. He grabbed his friend and pulled him to a ladder. Kicking off from it he made sure that when it fell they both landed safely on the ground. "Come on!" he yelled to Ron, who was still stunned, "To the Keep!"

These words knocked Ron to his senses and they both fled.

* * *

Harry took one look at the retreating troops and knew it was all over. The evil armies were pouring in the breached wall, and now they were starting to raise huge ladders up to the Keep. It didn't really matter that they couldn't get through the door, as there were plenty of other ways to get in.

Legolas refused to give up, at least not yet. The Uruks needed to use ropes to raise the ladders before they could go up safely. The elf waited until they were actually up in the air before he took an arrow and shot the rope. The ladder suddenly tipped in the opposite direction, sending the shocked, screaming Uruk-hai on it to the ground.

A small victory like that, unfortunately, did not do enough to turn the tide of the battle. With more and more men dying by the second, a thoroughly defeated Théoden ordered his men to retreat.

* * *

Treebeard walked slowly thorough the forest, relating his plan to the Fearsome Foursome. "I will lead you to the western borders of the forest," he said, "You can make your way back to your homeland from there."

Pippin was still thinking hard. If only there was some way he could show these Ents what Saruman was capable of. Then he remembered how Treebeard had said there was often smoke rising from Isengard. Where there was smoke, there was bound to be a fire. And where there was a fire, there was bound to be fuel. And the best source of fuel Saruman had were the _trees_. That was it!

"Stop!" cried Pippin, "Turn around, take us south!"

Treebeard was puzzled. South was clearly the direction to Isengard. What on earth was the young hobbit thinking? Fred, George, and Merry were wondering the same thing.

Pippin needed an explanation, and said whatever came to his head: "If we go south we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm!"

"And the logic there is…?" asked George.

"It's the last thing he'll expect!" said Pippin triumphantly.

"And if we go _west_, we don't have to go near him at all, seeing as how he doesn't know we're here and doesn't know what to expect!" replied Fred, stating the obvious.

"Oh come on, it's a great idea, don't you think so Treebeard?"

Treebeard was thoroughly bewildered, but he agreed to take them south.

"I changed my mind Pippin. You do have enough energy up there to come up with plans…stupid ones!" said George.

"Just trust me on this one," said Pippin, with such a grin on his face the others realized there was more to his story then this. He had an idea, and he was very confident that it would work too!

Translation: "Hado i philin" means "Release arrows". My thanks to the Council of Elrond website.

A/N: There. I was fast, wasn't I? Now to respond to my reviewers:

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **That's so cool how you knew exactly what I was going to do with Treebeard and Co. I'm sorry if they were a bit more serious in this chapter, this whole war is starting to affect them a bit.

**Lauren546: **That's awful! And here I was moping because my one friend got out June 3rd, and the other, June 8th! It's nice to know you still like the story though, thanks for reviewing!

**Raggedygal: **You're kidding. You actually _know_ a guy like Denethor! Shocking. I never knew people like him actually existed in the world! The end of this story shall be interesting, remember though, Hermione explained in the first chapter that almost no time will have passed since they went in. Otherwise it'd mess up a lot of the stuff that happens in Book 5! As for Snape, I already thought of something to do with him in the sequel. He won't like it!

**Eclipse: **That's fine. I understand why you were tired. I'm glad you liked the Exploding Snap part, that pretty much came to me as I was typing it!


	23. Osgiliath and Isengard Besieged

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I'M DONE WITH SCHOOL! OH YEAH! And you all know what that means: more chapters! (Except next week, I'll be on vacation!)

Chapter 23: Osgiliath and Isengard Besieged

Treebeard continued to walk closer and closer to Isengard, all the while chatting unconcernedly to Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin. He had no idea what he was about to run into. But he was about to find out.

The old Ent gasped in horror as the forest suddenly ended and death and destruction began. Burnt tree stumps littered the ground. There wasn't a tree left in the area. Even the Four were startled and saddened. And it was pretty clear to them who the culprit was.

It was pretty clear to Treebeard too. He was enraged to see the way Saruman had treated the forest, letting orcs come and cut down his friends, the trees, burning everything in sight…the Ent let out an anguished howl that could be heard by all the Ents nearby. They got the message at once.

"Whoa," breathed Fred, "What are we going to do?"

Treebeard was livid. "The Ents will march against Isengard," he replied.

There was a rustling noise. The Four turned around to see the shapes of more and more Ents coming out of the forest. George saw something else. "Blimey!" he yelled, "Are those all trees!"

Farther away they could see what they once thought was part of the forest moving away.

"Yes, they are," said Treebeard, "They have business with the orcs." Something about the way he said it told the others that this would be very unpleasant business. Neither Fred nor George envied the orcs too much.

Then a thought struck Fred, as they marched towards Isengard. He saw a grin spreading on Pippin's face and climbed up higher to whisper to him: "This was your plan all along wasn't it?"

Pippin gave him a smug, I'm-such-a-smart-hobbit-aren't-I look. "Yes it was."

"Alright alright, no need to get a swollen head here, I was just asking!"

"How about 'Thank you Pippin for being so smart and knowing what to do'?"

"How about 'Shut up before I fling you all the way to Isengard'?"

"There's no need to treat me like that," said Pippin in mock sadness, "Here I am, saving you all with my brilliant plan, and all you can do is say: 'Don't get a swollen head!'?"

"Oh you poor thing. How will you ever survive without us paying homage to you?" snorted Fred.

"Shut up you two. We're almost there!" said Merry.

* * *

Meanwhile, Faramir's men had just reached Osgiliath. There was the sound of falling rocks everywhere as orcs catapulted boulders from across the river to besiege the fortress. But Faramir had other things to worry about. He handed Frodo, Sam, and Gollum over to some trusted soldiers so to make sure the Ring would get to Minas Tirith safely. He let Hermione stay because he liked and trusted her, and because he knew Ginny would throw an absolute fit if he did otherwise. She was already glowering at being forced to baby-sit Gollum rather than help fight. 

But Hermione wasn't at all satisfied with this arrangement. "You can't do this," she begged Faramir, "That ring is more evil than you realize! If you take it to Minas Tirith, you won't be saving Gondor, you'll be dooming it!"

Deep down, Faramir wanted very badly to listen to her, but his pride and concern for Gondor and his father kept him from doing so. It looked like nothing would ever change his mind. Then, at the last minute, Sam exploded. "Do you want to know what happened to Boromir?"

Faramir froze and slowly turned to stare at the hobbit. "Sam…" breathed Hermione warningly.

But nothing would stop Sam at this stage. Their situation was too desperate in his eyes. "He tried to take the Ring from Frodo, after swearing an oath to protect him, he tried to kill him! The Ring drove your brother mad!"

There was no doubt in Hermione's mind: that was way too harsh. But maybe that was a good thing, because she suddenly saw something different in his eyes, something between shock, horror, and, possibly, understanding?

Then Ginny gave a yelp of fear. "Frodo?" she was calling frantically, "Frodo, are you all right? Can you hear me?"

To Hermione's dismay, Frodo's eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and he was very pale. He gave no sign that he had heard Ginny, and didn't react when she shook him. He threw his head back and said, in a strange voice, "They're here. They've come." And they all heard a very familiar shriek.

Faramir yelled, "Nazgul!" and everyone went into an instant panic, not sure at all what to do. Ginny alone didn't seem particularly afraid of this new arrival; on the contrary, she pulled out her sword to fight it. Faramir caught her though. "No!" he yelled, "Get them out of sight! Hide them!" He pointed at Frodo, Sam, Hermione, and Gollum.

Ginny wouldn't go without a fight. "But I can help!" she pleaded.

"_No_! You can help by getting them away from here!"

"But…"

"Go!" Faramir actually began pushing her away.

"Fine," grumbled Ginny. To the others she said, "Follow me!" And she began to lead them on a terrifying run through the streets, dodging soldiers and narrowly missing getting hit by the crashing boulders.

* * *

It was dawn at Helm's Deep. The Uruk-hai had taken down the Rohan flags, or more accurately, ripped them down, and put up the banner of the White Hand of Saruman. Then they set to work trying to knock down the doors to the inner hall. It was proving to be a bit difficult however. Before running in, Harry and Ron had made sure to put yet _another _Imperturbable Charm as well as another Unbreakable Charm on the doors. The result was the Uruks would find their battering ram flying out of their hands if they got too close. The harder they tried, the faster they ran, the worse it grew. 

But that still left Théoden, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Harry, Ron, and the other soldiers, along with the women and children, trapped in the hall and caves. And it would not be long before they needed more supplies. In Théoden's eyes, it was all over.

But the others refused to give up. "There's gotta be another way out of here, isn't there?" asked Ron.

Théoden sighed. "There is one passage that leads into the mountains," he said.

"Well, can't we all go through there?" asked Ron impatiently.

"Ron, as soon as we leave, that charm might wear off and the Uruks'll come chasing after us!" said Harry.

"Oh," said Ron, slumping again, "Right." Then he thought of something else. "Why don't you lot lead the women and children out of here, and Harry and I will stay here to hold up the spells?"

"Ron, you two can't stay here all by yourselves!" gasped Aragorn.

"We don't really have a choice do we?" asked Ron bracingly, "And Harry will do it, won't you Harry?"

"Of course," said Harry. He was ready to defend his friends to the death.

"No," said Aragorn quietly. He was looking towards the window. Sunlight was pouring in. He remembered something Gandalf had told him five days ago, which he would not tell the others just yet, so as not to get their defeated hopes up for nothing. "We won't leave you behind," he continued, "We can get the women and children out, but we won't just leave you here."

There was a light in the ranger's eyes that told Harry he had something in mind. Harry searched his own head and could only come up with one conclusion, the same one he had come to less than a year ago in a certain graveyard: Stand and fight. He pulled out his sword.

"What are you doing?" asked Ron. He then noticed the grim, yet set expressions on Harry and Aragorn. "You want to ride out there and fight them don't you?"

They nodded. Théoden turned around slowly, determination beginning to dawn in his eyes. "Yes…" he said softly.

"You can't do that! It's suicide! Look, let's just…I dunno, hold out a little longer or something, you guys can't go riding out there, you'll get killed!" begged Ron.

"It's the only way," said Harry softly. Glancing at Ron, with the shadow of a smile he said, "After all, isn't that what chess is all about? Having to make sacrifices?"

Ron smiled back, but it was a sad one. That was almost exactly what he had said to Harry and Hermione nearly five years ago when he sacrificed himself so that they could go on to protect the Sorcerer's Stone. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Let's do it!"

"Yes!" cried Gimli ecstatically. Legolas, and one of the king's officers, Gamling, went to get the horses and warn the women and children to leave.

Outside, the Uruks still tried to knock down the doors with no success. It didn't really matter anymore.

At a command from Théoden, Gimli climbed up a tower to a huge horn built into the stone.

Back in the hall, everyone mounted their horses, while the women and children, led by Eowyn evacuated the caves. "Fell beasts awake!" said Théoden, "Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And the red dawn!"

"Hold on to your reins everybody; it's gonna be a bumpy ride!" yelled Ron.

Gimli took a deep breath, and blew into the horn.

"Forth Eorlingas!" yelled Théoden. Everyone yelled and charged, smashing through the doors (Ron had removed the charms seconds beforehand) and trampling over the startled Uruk-hai, who had just been about to make another attempt to get in. The battle had begun once more.

* * *

At Isengard, Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin were thrilled with the results of their battle. The Ents were tearing apart huge chunks of the outer wall and flinging them everywhere, crushing orcs in their paths. The orcs themselves did everything to fight back: they tripped them with ropes, set them on fire, which Fred and George would quickly douse with a wave of their wands. Nothing appeared to be working. And the small stones and spells being shot at the orcs didn't help them either. 

At one point Fred glanced over at the tower of Isengard and saw Saruman himself staring in horror at the wreck that had become Isengard. His eyes met Fred's and he shot the younger wizard a death glare. Fred just grinned and pointed this out to his friends. They turned to look and laughed.

"HI!" called George, waving enthusiastically. The other three laughed harder. Saruman's face was a mask of fury.

"Aw there's no need to act that way, you might actually like having us as neighbors!" yelled Fred cheerfully.

Now Saruman was flexing his fingers menacingly. The boys did what they always did with danger signs: ignore it completely.

"Do you like beer songs?" asked George, "'Cause we know a GREAT one! Wanna here it? It was a BIG hit with your Uruk-hai!"

Saruman roared and started trying to fling whatever he could at them.

"Temper, temper," said Fred, "You'll put Harry to shame!"

The now thoroughly enraged evil wizard went for his staff, but was interrupted suddenly by another sound: the sound of rushing water.

The Ents had broken up a dam nearby and the river came pouring out onto Isengard. "Hold on boys!" roared Treebeard. The water crashed in like a gigantic wave, drowning every living thing in its path with the exception of the Ents and the Four riding on Treebeard.

* * *

At Osgiliath, the battle raged on. The Nazgul was doing its job, uttering pierced cries that filled the Gondorian soldiers with despair and terror, all the time searching for the Ring. 

Gollum was whimpering in fright and hiding behind Hermione, who was clutching Sam tightly in fear. So it was only Ginny who saw Frodo suddenly get up and leave their hiding place in a small corner and walk slowly towards the sound of the Nazgul.

"Frodo?" she called anxiously. He didn't respond. Quickly, Ginny ran after him. "Frodo! Frodo! Where are you going?" she called, "Come back! Stay here!" Frodo turned around. The blank, cold look he gave Ginny silenced her instantly and chilled her blood. It was the stare of a dead thing, like someone possessed. Frodo turned around and continued walking as if in a trance.

Ginny stood there looking stunned. What could she do? _I gotta stop him. Before he hurts himself. Like I did when I was possessed by Riddle. _With this thought in mind, Ginny hurried after the hobbit.

* * *

The situation at Helm's Deep looked desperate, but the defenders continued to plow on. They rode past the main gate and were about to go into the heart of the army, when Harry thought he heard a wild neighing that wasn't coming from any of their horses. He looked up and gasped. 

It was Shadowfax. Or, more accurately, Gandalf riding on Shadowfax. He certainly looked impressive in the dazzling sunlight which seemed to illuminate him as his faithful horse pawed the ground.

Then Ron yelled out joyfully, "Eomer!" Eomer and the Riders of Rohan suddenly came up behind Gandalf, 2,000 in all.

With cries of, "To the king!" the new army came racing down a slope, speeding to Rohan's rescue. The Uruk-hai were not too concerned by the new arrivals, they simply held their spears ready. They would crush the invaders just as soon as they had come.

But Gandalf had other ideas. He raised his staff, and a white bright light shone in the Uruks' eyes, blinding them against the oncoming army. This gave Harry an interesting idea. "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_" he yelled. A brilliant white stag leapt out of his wand and charged. It raced around the Uruk-hai, antlers lowered in attack form, disrupting their ranks and trampling a few as it galloped around searching for an offending dementor, and then eventually dissolving into a mist. But it had already done its job. The Uruk-hai were running around in panic and confusion, killing everything in sight, which was pretty much themselves. They were helped along in destroying their army by the Rohirrim, the elves of Lothlorien, and the remainder of the Fellowship.

Laughing with relief and excitement, Harry and Ron slapped each other high five before continuing to fight with a new hope and earnest that they hadn't felt in a long time.

* * *

Frodo walked up some stairs, to a wall where the Nazgul could clearly see him. The wraith flew his winged steed over and waited patiently. Frodo took the Ring and stretched out his hand… 

"Frodo NO!" screamed Ginny. Her cries alerted Faramir, who shot an arrow into the winged beast. It roared in pain and flapped away. Meanwhile, Ginny had tackled Frodo and was tumbling down the stairs, struggling with the hobbit as he reached for his dagger, Sting.

Hermione was the first to realize who was missing. "Sam!" she cried frantically, "Where are Frodo and Ginny?"

"What?" cried Sam in alarm. He leapt up and ran out of their hiding place, calling, "Mr. Frodo! Mr. Frodo!"

"Over there!" yelled Hermione, pointing at the wall as Ginny tackled Frodo, "Come on!"

Suddenly Ginny shrieked in pain. Frodo had found Sting and had lashed out with it, catching her in the arm. She let go of him immediately, rolling away and clutching her arm, biting back tears.

"GINNY!" Ginny looked up to see Hermione running towards her. "Are you alright? What did he do!"

Sam was so shocked he grabbed Frodo and pulled him down. Frodo struggled wildly but Sam was firm. "Frodo stop! It's Sam, remember?"

Hermione had run over to Ginny and held out her arm. Ginny hissed in pain as her friend examined the wound. "It's alright," Hermione said, "It looks like it's just a scratch, it's a little deep, but you'll be fine. Here, let me wrap it up for you. I won't try healing it with magic, I'm no Madame Pomfrey."

"It's fine," said Ginny sharply, pulling away. She looked around and saw Frodo staring at Sam with new eyes. Then he looked at Ginny, who was still holding her arm, and fought back tears.

"I'm sorry Ginny!" he cried, "I didn't mean to hurt you!" He collapsed against a wall and whispered, "I can't do this!"

Ginny tried to get up, but Hermione pulled her back down and started to wrap up her arm. So she settled on sitting down. "Yes you can Frodo," she said firmly, "I know exactly how you feel right now, because I've been through it. I got tricked by a Dark Lord by writing in his diary, and he wrote back, and started to possess me, so that I started to do terrible things without realizing it. I even attacked Hermione once, and I nearly killed Harry because he tried to save me. I tried to get rid of the diary, but somehow I found myself writing in it again. I didn't want to, but I felt like I had to. It was awful. I'm so glad Harry ended up destroying it, or we both would've died!"

Frodo listened to this all silently. Yes, he had to admit, Ginny had been through a lot more than one could realize. Maybe that was why he felt strangely comforted by her words. It was the idea that he could connect with someone, someone actually understood what he was going through, that made him feel better. For the first time in months, he smiled at Ginny. She smiled back.

A/N: I bet you're all ready to kill me for not putting in Sam's "great stories" speech. Don't. I love it too. I just wanted Frodo and Ginny to connect, and this _is_ a HP/LotR crossover, not a script of the Two Towers!

**To my reviewers:**

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **That's ok, I'm rather hyper myself! Next chapter is the end of TTT! We're almost at the end! I'm figuring I'll finish this up really fast, then work on a few chapters of "The Fellowship of the Calvin", then go back to write the RotK. I shouldn't take too long though. What I also want to do is work on some different crossovers (see my bio for full details) for a change, so I'm not always writing the same things. (sniff) Poor Haldir. That's fine that you quoted from my story, it sounds like you're really getting into it, which makes me feel happy 'cause it means people actually like my style. Ron in second place? You'll have to wait and see…

**Eclipse: **I know Haldir doesn't die, that was one of the random book facts my best friend told me once. We did think it was a nice change to the movie to make the elves come, and were a little upset to see that it wasn't in the books! Oh well. I shall not dare criticize Professor Tolkien, or there wouldn't _be_ any movies! Lol, one of my favorite parts of Book 5 is when Fred and George tell Harry not to bottle up all his anger, because there might've been a few people 50 miles away who didn't hear him, so I brought it up a little bit there!

**Lauren546: **Just go to Google and type in "Council of Elrond". It should be the first link. Council of Elrond is the name of the website, and it's really great. I use it mostly for when I need a translation. Thanx for reviewing!

**Genvessel: **I'm glad you like the Fearsome Foursome, I do too, now that I think about it, who doesn't love those guys, together or not? That Tolkien class sounds so awesome, I know what I'M taking when I go to college! I'll be able to update on a regular basis, except next week when I go on vacation. (I really do need a laptop, but I'm not getting one 'til August!)


	24. Here We Go Again

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 24: Here We Go Again

The atmosphere at Helm's Deep had changed drastically from deep despair to utter joy. Rohan's army, lead by Gandalf, chased the Uruk-hai, who fled into what looked like a nearby forest. They hadn't gotten too far in when Harry was startled to see the trees move, crushing every orc inside the woods.

"No way…" said Ron, "The trees are _alive_!"

"Yes Ron," said Harry with a sarcastic grin, "Trees are living things, just like every other plant. Or weren't you paying attention in Herbology?"

"Stop sounding like Hermione! You know what I mean!" snapped Ron.

Harry turned to Gandalf. "That was great!" he said, "How did you get here just in time? And how did you get the trees here like that?"

"I didn't," replied Gandalf. "I think there's more to that story then meets the eye," he added, glancing in the direction of the forest.

"Well, I guess we'll never know then, huh," said Ron, "But how did you find Eomer?"

"I searched the plains for him, and he and his Riders agreed to come and help."

"Well thanks, you really pulled us out of a tight spot there," said Ron gratefully to Eomer.

Eomer smiled and nodded. "I'm just glad our people are safe."

"What are we going to do now?" asked Harry.

"We are going inside," said Gandalf, "You look like you all need some rest. Then we shall start out for Isengard."

"_What!_" asked Harry in disbelief, "Are you mad?"

"Not at all," said Gandalf calmly.

"Why are taking us there?" protested Ron, "We'll just get ourselves killed!"

"You didn't appear too concerned about that when I arrived, riding out there in the midst of the enemy forces," Gandalf pointed out, "Stop fretting now. I know what I am doing." He urged Shadowfax onward up through the gate and out of sight.

"Does anyone else have the feeling he knows something we don't?" asked Ron.

"He _always_ knows something we don't," said Aragorn, "He is a wizard after all."

"Yeah, but I'm a wizard and I don't know what he's talking about!" exclaimed Ron.

"Some things never change," muttered Harry under his breath.

* * *

The flood of water all but destroyed the once mighty fortress of Isengard. Now that the water had actually calmed down, Treebeard lowered the boys down, where they immediately engaged themselves in a water war: Fred and George vs. Merry and Pippin. The hobbits were so small that they could dunk themselves and surprise the twins with an underwater attack.

Up on the balcony of Orthanc, Saruman and Wormtongue glowered at the boys. The Four looked up in time to see Wormtongue make some kind of remark that caused Saruman to start yelling and cursing and hitting the unfortunate servant with his staff.

"How nice," remarked Fred casually, "He looks like Mum when she yells at us!" They all burst out laughing again. Saruman must've realized that they were mocking him, and that it would be no good to retaliate, as they'd just laugh harder, because he grabbed Wormtongue and dragged him inside.

"No don't go!" cried George, "You're taking away a fine source of entertainment!"

"Speaking of entertainment, look what I've got!" said Fred.

"Yes! Exploding Snap!" cried Pippin.

"I don't know why you're so excited Pippin. Losing is never fun," said Fred.

"Then how come you brought out the game?" Pippin shot back.

"Just deal the cards," said George.

"George really just wants to get this over with," said Pippin, "He hates losing to me too!"

"Shut up and deal," said George through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I think you'll be surprised by the results Pippin," said Merry.

"We'll see," said Pippin.

* * *

Ron wandered through Helm's Deep, watching soldiers piling up the bodies of dead Uruks. He soon found the two people he was looking for, discussing the outcome of the battle.

"Final count, 42," said Legolas, looking rather impressed with himself.

"42? That's not bad for a pointy-eared elvish princeling," said Gimli, "I myself am sitting on 43!"

"That's nice guys," said Ron with a heavy sigh.

"Uh-oh, what did you get?" asked Legolas.

"You don't want to know," replied Ron.

"What was it?" asked Gimli with a sly smile.

"I'm not sure if I should tell you," said Ron, his eyes cast to the ground.

"It's all right, we won't laugh," said Legolas, "Go on, tell us."

As soon as Ron looked up, Legolas knew he'd made a terrible mistake. There was a triumphant grin on Ron's face. "FIFTY!" he yelled jubilantly, "Take THAT!"

"No!" gasped Gimli.

"Yes!" said Ron, laughing.

"But…how…" Legolas stuttered.

"Magic my friends. I just started Stunning them all and stabbed them where they fell. Didn't even have to really fight them!"

"That's NOT fair!" roared Gimli, "YOU CAN'T USE MAGIC!"

"Never said I couldn't!"

"But…but…" Gimli spluttered with rage.

Legolas couldn't help but laugh. "Well played my friend," he said, "But next time we're banning magic!"

"Let's hope there _isn't _a next time," said Ron darkly.

* * *

At Osgiliath, Faramir had found himself listening very closely as Ginny shared with Frodo one of her darkest secrets. He remembered what Sam had said happened to Boromir, and he knew in his heart what he had to do.

"You're setting us free?" asked a surprised Hermione.

"Yes," said Faramir. He knew that he would be in big trouble with Denethor when he got home to Minas Tirith, but suddenly, in the light of all that had happened, that didn't seem as important anymore. He still loved his father, but he now knew the danger of bringing home this object, and he would not endanger Gondor with it.

Faramir led the little group to a rather large tunnel. "This leads to the sewers under the river," he said, "Ginny; I need you to lead them through here."

"Oh but…" Ginny was torn. She wanted to go with Hermione, but she couldn't leave the soldiers behind. She longed to fight.

"Ginny, I really need you to do this for me," he said sternly, "Lead them through the sewers so they can find their way. I know you want to fight, but I won't endanger you by putting you in battle."

"Ok," said Ginny, shrugging, "But we're going up some pass to Minas Morgul, so I'd be in danger anyway."

"What pass?" asked Faramir, sharply, "Cirth Ungol?"

"Oh, _that's_ what it was called!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Cirith Ungol?" asked Hermione with a frown. She reached her hand in for her little book, but it wasn't there. "Have you seen my book on the peoples and places of Middle Earth?" she asked.

Faramir suddenly looked guilty. "I'm sorry Hermione," he said, "I had confiscated it beforehand when we first caught you. I found it so interesting that I decided to borrow it for a little while, that was before I knew who you were of course, and I think it's still at Henneth Annun. I am sorry."

"That's quite alright," said Hermione, "I'll get it back some other time." She stepped inside the tunnel, and Frodo, Sam, Ginny, and Gollum followed. "Goodbye Faramir," she said, "We will miss you!" Frodo and Sam nodded in agreement. Words failed them. They knew that deep down Faramir was an exceptional person, and he had proven it to them by setting them free. One by one, they all went into the tunnel.

Ginny was the last to leave. She took one look at Faramir, and the next second he thought his ribs would break from her tight hug. "I'll miss you," she whispered.

"Take care," he said, "And try to stay out of trouble."

She stepped back, and Faramir saw a mischievous smile on her face. "Are you kidding?" she asked, "This is me we're talking about!" Ginny stepped into the tunnel, waved, and was gone.

Faramir watched her go. _Nice girl_, he thought to himself, _A little odd, and like no woman I've ever seen. But her heart's in the right place._ He turned and left.

* * *

"THAT'S IT!" screamed Fred, flinging down his cards, "Pippin, we are locking you in that shed over there!"

"Here, here!" chorused George and Merry.

Pippin struggled but was no match for the three boys. "C'mon guys, put me down, it's not my fault I won ten times, c'mon put me down!"

"NEVER!" yelled George. They flung him in a little storeroom, but stopped when they saw what was in there.

"It's…beautiful," whispered Merry.

"It's…food!" said Fred.

Pippin emerged from the water on the floor, coughing and spluttering. He cleared his eyes and gasped. "Longbottom Leaf!"

"Hey, we know a guy named Longbottom," said Fred, "That's his last name. His first name's Neville."

"I'm not talking about a person, I'm talking about pipe weed!" said Pippin. He got up and opened a few small barrels. "Yes," he sighed, smelling it deeply. He then distributed four barrels to them.

"Ah, there's nothing like pipe weed from the Shire," said Merry, joyfully pulling out his pipe.

"Wait, d'you think we should share it with Treebeard?" asked Pippin.

"Of course not!" cried George, "He's out there clearing up Isengard. He doesn't need this stuff. Anyway, he drinks that Entwash thing, he won't like this."

"Yeah," said Fred, getting a pipe from the room, "Mmm, this stuff IS good!"

"Mum's going to kill us," said George, getting a pipe of his own.

"Not if she doesn't find out," Fred pointed out, "Cheers!"

They all laughed and settled down to enjoy the delights of Saruman's storeroom.

* * *

After sleeping for the first time in over a day, Harry was all ready to go. So was Aragorn. They got their horses and went out to meet Gandalf, Ron, Legolas, Gimli, Théoden, Eomer, and Gamling, who were already waiting for them.

"All set?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, you?" asked Harry.

"What do you think?" he replied. Together, they followed the others into the forest to begin a new stage in their adventure.

* * *

"Well, we're out," said Ginny cheerfully, "This is where I leave you!"

"You're not coming with us?" asked Hermione sadly.

Ginny sighed. "You know I want to, but I get this feeling that I'm needed here. Like there's something I have to do. I know Faramir doesn't want me to, so I'll hide in the sewers for a little while and come out when I think I need to."

"Are you sure?" asked Hermione. She hated to say goodbye to another friend.

"Positive," replied Ginny, before running up and giving Hermione a huge hug. Then she leaned down to look into Frodo's eyes. "Be careful with that ring," she said to him, "And remember what I told you."

"I will," he said.

"Good," she said, "Bye Sam!"

"Goodbye Miss Ginny!" said Sam, "And thank you!"

"My pleasure," replied Ginny, "See you Gollum! Gollum?"

Gollum was nowhere to be seen.

"Now where's he gone off to?" grumbled Sam.

"We'll find him," said Hermione.

"Well, bye then," said Ginny, and without a further glance she ran back for the sewers. Hermione watched this sadly, and then reluctantly went with Frodo and Sam.

Sam was busy chatting with Frodo. "I wonder if we'll ever be put in songs or tales?"

"Harry's already put himself in a lot of books in our world," said Hermione.

"Do they ever tell stories about you?" asked Sam.

"No, but a lot of people know me because I'm his friend."

"Well, maybe this is you chance. Maybe one day kids'll ask to hear about Frodo, Sam, Hermione, and the Ring."

Frodo laughed. "And then they'll ask, how could Frodo have managed it if he didn't have Sam and Hermione with him every step of the way?"

Hermione blushed deeply. "I wasn't there _all_ the time…"

"You've been there enough," replied Frodo.

"What about Sméagol?" asked Hermione.

"Who'd want to read about him?" growled Sam, "Where is he anyway?"

"I'll find him," said Hermione, calling out loudly, "Sméagol? Sméagol?" She was surprised to see him suddenly pop up out of nowhere.

"Come on hobbits, miss," he said cheerfully, "Long ways to go yet. Sméagol will show you the way! Follow me!"

Hermione smiled grimly as they followed him along the path. _Here we go again_, she thought.

A/N: And so ends The Two Towers! What'd ya think?

**Now for my reviewers:**

**LillyandJamesforever: **Ah yes, no more finals! Thanks for understanding about Sam's speech! BTW, I've visited your website and I think it's great!

**Eclipse: **Ah, that was probably my favorite part! And their interaction continues! Thanx for reviewing!

**xthexghostxwriterx: **Thank you! I never considered myself to be a good writer; most people know me as a very harsh critic of myself!

**Darknesscomes: **That's good!

**Catwraith: **That is interesting. Maybe Prof. Tolkien knew German, and that's where he got it from. I know he apparently loved languages, which is why he made Elvish. The reasons I took forever to update were: Finals, Computer viruses, and a whole lot of work!

**MischeviousPuck: **I agree! I think it's mostly Harry's fault that she only just started coming to her full potential in the series, because it's all from his point of view and he never thought of her as anything but Ron's little sister. In my fic she is slowly starting to get fed up with Faramir and is now starting to take matters into her own hands. About Neville, well, I did think about it, but I can't do it now. I was thinking of adding him and Luna, and possibly Voldemort to the mix, but then I didn't. I think that was stupid of me, but it's still turned out ok. Maybe next time…

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **That's fine, review whenever you can! Yeah, if I made it TOO easy for them all it just wouldn't be much of a story, and things might turn out to be extremely different. That's the problem with writing crossovers; you have to be so careful. One little change could alter the whole course of events!

**An: **Thanks, I love you guys too!

**Genvessel: **Aw darn, I really wanted to take that class! Well, I'm glad you liked the Ginny part; I thought it would be great for them to connect; you can thank one of your fellow reviewers, Eclipse, for giving me the idea awhile ago. And now we're done with the Two Towers, and we can move on to the Return of the King! YAY!


	25. The Journey Continues

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: The Return of the King is here! YES! And now we're at the Voice of Saruman. Here's one of the parts of the book that I did read. So while you won't exactly be seeing book verse in here, there are some small book references in here.

I'm sorry I didn't update. I've been on vacation, plus I started work, so life's been a little hectic. My summer's been busier than I thought. I need a laptop.

Chapter 25: The Journey Continues

Harry urged Thalion onward through the maze of trees on the route to Isengard. He felt very anxious, knowing that this was the place where the evil Saruman lived, and did not really feel like meeting him. Gandalf might be unusually calm about this little venture, but Harry couldn't help but wonder if in coming back to life, Gandalf had lost a bit of good sense.

Behind him, he could hear Ron chatting with Legolas and Gimli. All three of them had become very close friends. "So Gimli will take us to these caves, and Legolas will take us through Fangorn, and I'll make sure you come to one of our Quidditch matches!"

"It's a deal," said Legolas, "But I don't see how we are going to find a Quidditch match here!"

"Maybe you could home with us and we could take you to one. Dad can always get tickets at work."

"We'll see," said Legolas softly. He glanced at Aragorn, who looked at Harry. They were all thinking the same thing.

Many times so far Harry had wondered if he would ever see Hogwarts again. Now, after surviving a huge, almost impossible battle, the odds of them actually going back had suddenly risen. And now that he really thought about it, did he really want to go back home?

Home was where everyone treated him like a lunatic. Home was where Umbridge was slowly taking away all his privileges at Hogwarts. Home was where Dumbledore constantly ignored him. Home was where he felt constantly hunted by Voldemort.

But here, he found people not only understanding him, but suffering similar experiences. He liked the people of Middle Earth, and not just because they didn't stare at his scar. He would miss the Fellowship, and judging by the looks that had passed between Aragorn and Legolas, they would miss him too.

But Ron seemed completely oblivious to the inevitable. He was talking excitedly to Gimli about the time they went to see the Quidditch World Cup. "And then a Bludger hit Krum right in the face and broke his nose and then Lynch just dove down and tried to catch the Snitch but he crashed and then Krum just snatched it right in the air! Can you believe that? But Ireland won anyway, because their Chasers were just too good, they scored about 180 points, amazing huh? And they came up to the Top Box and everything and we got to see them all…"

Harry nudged Thalion up towards Gandalf, who was leading the group. "Is something troubling you Harry?" asked the old wizard gently.

"Well, yeah, actually." It never ceased to amaze Harry how much Gandalf reminded him of Dumbledore. "Gandalf, if we win this war, when are me and my friends going to have to leave?"

Gandalf chuckled. He remembered back when all Harry could think about was going back to Hogwarts. Now he seemed to want the exact opposite. "I suppose you can stay here as long as you like," he replied, "But you should go home. You will be needed there I am sure."

"Yeah," said Harry, "But I'm sure not appreciated there."

* * *

Somewhere in the woods outside of Osgiliath, Hermione stirred. As she always did when she woke up, she found her hands absentmindedly touching her elven brooch. Blinking in an effort to wake up, Hermione sat up and looked around, yawning widely. She discovered that she wasn't the only one awake. 

"Hi Frodo," she said, "How long have you been up?"

"A while," he replied.

Hermione looked into his pale face and tired blue eyes. "Frodo," she said, half sternly, and half in concern, "Did you sleep at all during the night?"

"Not really," he said sheepishly.

"You can't keep doing that! I realize it must be hard to carry that ring all the time, but you need your sleep! If you don't you could get sick!"

"I know, I know," groaned Frodo, "I try, but I just can't. I'm so tired, but I can't sleep!"

"Hmm," said Hermione, "I wish I could make you a Sleeping Draught. That always helped Harry. Maybe if I had the ingredients, and the time…"

"Wake up!" cried Gollum, suddenly sticking his head out from the top of their little cave-like shelter. Hermione shrieked in surprise.

"Sméagol!" she cried, "Don't _do_ that!"

"Sorry miss," said Gollum as humbly as possible, "Sméagol only wants to tell you that we must leave now!"

"Alright, we'll be up in a minute," said Hermione, stretching and yawning. Turning her head slightly she saw Sam doing the same. Then he started rummaging through his pack, pulling out lembas bread.

"Here," he said, giving her and Frodo each a piece, "Breakfast."

"Thanks Sam," said Hermione, nibbling on the bread. In truth, she was tired of eating the same thing every day. But it was better than nothing. As this thought entered her head, she noticed Sam hadn't gotten anything for himself.

"Aren't you going to eat at all?" she asked.

"Oh I'm not hungry," he said in an off-hand sort of way. But Hermione glanced at Frodo and knew he was thinking the same thing: Sam never passed up an opportunity to eat. What was going on?

"You two!" she groaned, "Frodo's not sleeping, and Sam, you're not eating, I feel like between the two of you I live in luxury!"

"I'm fine," said Sam. Then he sighed. "The truth is we're starting to run out of food."

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Hermione. Back in Lothlorien, she had checked and re-checked, and then checked some more, on their supplies. She had been certain there would be enough. But clearly, there wasn't.

"We'll just have to ration it, that's all," she decided out loud. "I don't know how we'll do it, but we'll manage somehow. We always have before."

Sam was about to reply when they were interrupted by Gollum, again. "Come on!" he shouted, "We must go! There's no time!"

"All right Sméagol, we're coming," said Hermione, as Sam opened his mouth to scold him. She got up and immediately banged her head on the top of the rock camp. Rubbing it slightly and wincing in pain, Hermione got out and waited for her hobbit companions to follow. "All right Sméagol," she said, as cheerfully as possible, "Lead us on!"

* * *

The group from Rohan could tell they were reaching their destination when loud singing suddenly burst out through the woods. 

"THIS IS THE SONG THAT NEVER ENNNNNNNNNDDDDDDSSS! YES IT GOES ON AND ON MY FRIEEEEEENNNNNNDDDDDDDSSSS!"

"What on earth was THAT?" asked Harry. Gandalf simply chuckled.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Oh no," said Ron slowly, "I recognize those voices."

He and Harry looked at each other. "_Fred and George_!" they said.

"What've they gotten into this time?" wondered Ron.

"Knowing those two, it'll be something wild," said Harry.

They rode through the last bit of trees and into the sunlight of flooded Isengard. Sure enough, the Fearsome Foursome were sitting on a large rock singing their lungs out.

"SOME PEOPLE…" yelled Fred.

"STARTED SINGING IT…" continued George.

"NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS!" added Merry.

"AND THEY'LL CONTINUE SINGING IT…" cried Pippin.

"FOREVER…"

"JUST BECAAAAAUUUUUSSSE!" sang George in a deep opera voice.

"THIS IS THE SONG THAT NEVER ENDS! YES IT GOES ON AND ON MY FRIENDS…"

"What happened to them?" asked Ron, clearly stunned.

Legolas laughed. "It appears they are under the effects of pipeweed."

It was then that the four noticed the newcomers. "Heeellllloooo there!" called Fred in a drunken state.

"Welcome to Isengard!" cried Merry, arms outstretched.

"The destroyed realm of Saruman," added George, "Now under new management!"

"Blimey George," said Fred, bending down to get a closer look, "Is that our little brother?"

"It _is_," said George, sounding deeply shocked, "How ya doing Ronnie?"

Ron's face matched the color of his hair. He muttered something that sounded like, "I'm not their brother; they must be mistaken. We just look alike; we're not related in any way!"

Gandalf shook his head. They were in an even worse state then he thought. Gimli, on the other hand, was furious. "You young rascals!" he yelled.

"That's what they call us!" said Fred cheerfully.

"A merry hunt you led us on and now we find you feasting…and smoking!" spluttered the dwarf, as if these four had committed some sort of horrific crime.

"We are sitting on a field of victory, enjoying a few well earned comforts," stated Pippin.

"Oh really?" snorted Harry, "And just what did you do to earn it all?"

"You insult us Harry!" cried George, "Do you realize that we sat through _ten hours_ of waiting for the Ents to decide _whether or not we were orcs!_ And then we had to survive the battle here, and the giant flood…"

"All safely on top of Treebeard the entire time no doubt," murmured Gandalf.

"I think we deserve some rest and relaxation," finished George.

"Isn't that all you ever do?" asked Ron.

"No, no, no," said Merry, "We are actually Treebeard's most honored gate-keepers!"

"Oh?" said Harry, with amusement, "And just who have you met in this important job?"

"You of course," said Fred, "You'll have to report to Treebeard first. He's in control of the whole place. This way please," he said with the air of a tour guide.

Treebeard was pleased to see the new arrivals. "Young Master Gandalf," he said, "I'm glad you've come!"

"I trust these four were not too difficult for you?" asked Gandalf, somewhat anxiously.

"No, no, not at all," said Treebeard, "Though I am a bit confused…what do they mean to sing a song that never ends? How will anything ever get done if all one does is sing?"

"Oh they don't really keep on singing, it's just a ridiculous song," replied Gandalf.

"I don't know," said Treebeard, "They haven't stopped singing it since they started. That is, until you came."

Harry looked around at the ruined fortress. Everywhere he looked there were Ents working diligently. He caught Ron's eye and knew they were thinking the same thing.

"Where's Saruman?" he asked.

"He's locked in his tower," said Treebeard, tilting his head in that direction. It was odd, Harry thought, talking to what looked like a tree. Gandalf had told him a bit about the Ents on the way, but at the time Harry had no idea why he was learning all this. Now it was clear that these walking talking trees were behind the destruction of Isengard, and somehow, someway, the twins and Merry and Pippin had helped bring it about.

"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King," said a voice. Harry jumped about a foot in the air on his horse and looked up to see who'd been talking.

It was Saruman. Harry knew it without even asking. He had long white hair and a beard similar to Gandalf's, and he had a long black staff. He also gave off an air of evilness that made Harry shiver. The strangest part about him though, was his voice. It wasn't icy cold and terrifying, like Voldemort's of Lucius Malfoy's. It wasn't sneering like Snape's. It was smooth, calm, and melodious. In fact, it was almost hypnotic.

"Hello neighbor!" said Fred cheerfully. He was still under the effects of pipeweed. But Saruman couldn't really tell the difference. He shot the twin a dirty look and continued talking to Théoden, asking for peace.

"I don't believe this," said Ron, "He tries to kill us all by sending out a huge army of Uruk-hai, and now he expects us to all be friends again or something!"

"I was not questioning _you_, Ronald Weasley," said Saruman sharply, all traces of hypnotism in his voice gone. Ron gulped.

"How does he know my name?" he whispered to Harry.

"Well, he appears to know everything else," Harry muttered back.

"You are quite right Harry Potter," sneered the old wizard. Then he turned back to appeal to Théoden once more.

But the king of Rohan wasn't buying it either. He was furious with Saruman's treachery, which had wrongly brought out so many deaths, and he wasn't afraid to voice his opinions too, heavy with emotion.

Harry had a feeling this was about to get pretty ugly.

It did. Saruman did not like to be criticized by those who he believed to be inferior to him. Most of the party below him was just itching to shoot him down. But Gandalf restrained them all. He knew they needed Saruman, as he was Sauron's closest confidant, and any information about the Enemy they could get would be extremely helpful.

Saruman already knew this, and he loved taunting them. Fred and George were just as eager to taunt back.

The evil wizard reached into his robes and pulled out a huge black ball covered in what looked like flames. "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth," he said, "Something that you have failed to see."

"If you could just get to the point and tell us what it is we'd all really appreciate it," said Fred, rolling his eyes.

Saruman hid his irritation at their appalling lack of fear. "You're all going to die," he stated simply.

"Now tell us something we don't know," said George.

Saruman could no longer hide his frustration with the pair. "I know that the two of you are nasty little beasts, and if my Master got his hands on you…"

"You're mean," said Fred in a mock whiny voice.

"Remind us not to invite you to our friendly neighborhood gatherings!" said George.

Gandalf groaned and rolled his eyes. "Be silent, both of you!" he snapped.

"Why thank you, my old friend," sneered Saruman, "But I can take care of myself!"

Gandalf shook off that last comment. There were more important things at stake. He needed information.

But Harry could tell he was not going to get it, at least, not without a fight. He could tell that Saruman was not only evil, but extremly clever. He was very good at pushing all the right buttons, snidely hinting how he believed Aragorn couldn't be a king, how Theoden was not really an honorable leader of Rohan, that Frodo's quest was in vain and he and his companions would surely die...

At this comment, Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned to look at Ron, who was pale. What if Saruman was right? What if something terrible happened to Hermione?

"Oh _shut up_!" groaned Fred. He and George had had enough.

"Yeah, look who's talking! You're the one trapped in your own tower!" yelled George.

They had touched a raw nerve. "You will both be silent!" he roared, and in an act that surprised everyone but Gandalf, seized his staff and sent a fireball down at the twins.

Gandalf's quick shield with his staff was the only thing that saved them. "Why must you always try to get yourselves killed?" he asked exasperatedely. Then he turned to his evil fellow wizard. "Saruman, you're staff is broken," he stated firmly, and the black staff crumbled into ashes.

"Cool," muttered Ron, "You should do that to You-Know-Who!"

A lone, hunched figure suddenly appeared beside Saruman. Harry squinted to see that it was Grima Wormtongue. He also noticed the man was paler than usual and looked like he was suffering a lot.

Theoden saw him too. Unlike Harry, his face softened, and when he spoke his voice was full of sympathy. "Grima," he called, "Come down. Be free of him."

"Are you mad!" whispered Ron. Harry was also stunned. This man had possesed the king and practically destroyed Rohan, and Theoden wanted to _forgive _him! It seemed inconcievable. But Harry looked closer and then noticed a change in Wormtongue's eyes. He looked tempted by the offer, almost as if he knew his mistake and wanted to start over.

But Saruman merely laughed. "Free? He will never be free!" Harry started to feel sick at the cruelty of it all, especially when Saruman then proceeded to slap his servant across the face and knock him to the ground.

"That's just wrong," said Ron, looking just a bit sympathetic.

"That's why you don't side with bad guys," muttered Fred.

_I wonder_, thought Harry, _If Wormtail has ever felt this way after he chose to side with Voldemort. _Voldemort had mentioned in Harry's dreams before how he suspected Wormtail loathed returning to him, he only did it because he had nowhere else to go...

These thoughts were jerked rather abruptly from Harry's brain as he saw what happened next. Saruman had his back turned from Wormtongue, so he never saw the man come up from behind and stab him in the back, literally. Legolas, whose patience had finally snapped, had shot an arrow at the wizard, only to find it hit Wormtoungue instead. The two wicked men were dead.

Saruman fell from the tower and landed with a splat on one of the spikes of his mills. A gray smoke rose from his body, seemed to glare at them, and then disappeared. It looked oddly familiar to Harry, but he couldn't think of where he'd seensomething like it before.

"Such a tragic end," said George, shaking his head. He didn't look at all unnerved, unlike Merry and Pippin, who both looked slightly shaken.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away," said Treebeard with satisfaction.

"So," said Harry, turning to Gandalf and trying to act as though what had just happened wasn't outright shocking and disturbing, "Where to?"

"We must get to Edoras as quickly as possible," replied Gandalf.

"Why the rush?" asked Harry.

"We need to figure out the Enemy's plans," replied Gandalf.

"What's that you've got Pippin?" asked George curiously.

The younger hobbit had in his hand the round black ball of Saruman's. "Dunno," he muttered, rolling it in his hands.

"Peregrin Took! I'll take that, my lad," said Gandalf sharply, taking it and stuffing it safely under his robes. He gave the hobbit a sternlook.

"Wonder what that was all about?" muttered Ron as they rode away.

**To my reviewers:**

**Padfoot124: **I have no idea why. I don't run the techincal stuff on FanfictionNet.

**LillyandJamesforever: **Do you mean MuggleNet Fanfiction? This story got rejected there too. Apparently they don't accept crossovers! Oh well. I love MuggleNet, butI sure didn't love that! Glad you liked the chapter, nope, Harry's not going into the West, I'll tell you that much!

**Lauren456: **Well, what did you think?

**MischeviousPuck: **Ginny's probably one of my favorite characters in the fiction world! Faramir won't really have time to kill her when she comes back to help, because he'll obviously be too busy killing orcs! Wait'll we get to the part where Denthor sacrifices him and makes him go back to Osgiliath!

**genvessel: **Lol, fixing a wall that's been blown up by Uruk-hai: $1000. Medical bills after battle: 10,000. Finding that you have just killed more orcs than the two greatest warriors in Middle Earth: priceless! There are some things you won't find in books. For everything else there's fanfiction! I had to do that! Anyway, I guess Return of the King could be considered the light at the end of the dark tunnel, the reason for living, and watching/reading the trilogy. I guess that is my favorite movie out of all of them. I just know Two Towers better.

**Mali: **Well then, congratulations!

**Rageddygal: **I agree! Stupid Denethor!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **Yay! Exploding Snap rocks!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **I feel so bad, because I feel like I never use your ideas. I'm sorry! Did you like the twins anyway?

**catwraith: **Ginny! I don't think she'll come up in the next chapter, but the one after it.

**grey wings: **Your English is fine! It feels weird to hear people say they struggle with it, since it's a language I've been speaking all my life. But I suppose everyone feels that way about their native language. I'm glad you love my story, I've been reading fanfiction since last fall, and now I'm hooked! They have C2 communities with HP/LotR crossovers on here I believe, if you want to read more of them. Some of them are really good!

**Lancetree80: **I would, except I don't know Dragonball Z, or any of those other cartoons.

**darknesscomes: **Thanks so much!

**Brandy Lebeau: **I know, I know, I'll review ASAP! I have no idea what the scisfrena scen is you're talking about, but there will be more action once we get deeper into the Return of the King, I promise! No Ginny/Faramir, they're just really good friends. Sorry!

**Aussie-Girl 3: **Thank you, I always do have fun writing!

**Inimene: **What can I say? I've only really seen the movies, I've read parts of the books, and this really good book called The Origins of Tolkien's Middle Earth for Dummies, so I know the basics, and about the Valar, enough to understand other people's fics, but not enough to base my own fics off of them.

**Brownie/Melody: **Ah, there's nothing like reading fanfiction after a day at camp! I would know. But anyway, so glad you liked my story, I hope you can continue to review, as it really makes my day!

**LilyFan78: **Of course I'll continue with the third one, I'm not THAT evil! I'm happy to know you liked it.

**insanechildfanfic:** Thanks!

**Eleniel of the Stars: **I'd be happy to edit your story! I loved By the Power of the Stars! I'm glad you liked my story as well!

**Robyn: **Of course Ginny's safe, just like Ron! How long it will stay that way, who knows...?


	26. The Banquet

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Warning: There's quite a bit of drinking in this chapter, as this is the chapter with the party and the drinking contest!

Chapter 26: The Banquet 

"So Harry, Ron," said Fred cheerfully as they rode to Edoras, "What've you been up to while we were gone?"

"You first," replied Harry, "Considering we ran all through Middle Earth trying to find you, and Gandalf didn't provide us with too many details."

"Yeah, I want to hear all about this attack on Isengard myself," said Ron.

"Well, if you insist," said Fred, taking a deep breath, and began, "It was a dark and stormy night…"

"Actually, I thought it was pretty sunny out," said Pippin.

"Who's telling the story, you or me?"

"Well considering _I'm _the one who saved your sorry necks with my brilliant plan…"

"And won't let us forget it," hissed George under his breath.

"It was your idea to attack Isengard!" asked Harry in surprise. From what he had remembered of Pippin, he'd thought the hobbit was never too good at coming up with brilliant schemes.

"Actually," Merry cut in, "It was all _our _idea to rouse up the Ents. Pippin was simply the one who figured out how to go about doing that."

"Yeah, I'm not THAT stupid," added Pippin.

"You sure love to hide that from us, don't you Pip?" said Fred with a wink, "Now I'll just continue with my story if you don't mind…"

Harry and Ron listened, intrigued, as the Fearsome Foursome related their time with the Uruks, how they had escaped, when they met Treebeard, the Entmoot, and finally, the battle between the trees and orcs.

"So that's how the forest came to life and killed all those fleeing Uruk-hai," said Harry.

"Yeah, we saw them leave," said George.

"Who knew trees had it in them?" muttered Ron.

Fred winked again. "Never underestimate the power of trees," he said, "They know _all_…"

"Now tell us what's been happening to you," said George.

So Harry and Ron told them about how they had finally met up again, and how they had found Gandalf, took back Edoras from Saruman's control, fled to Helm's Deep, and eventually defeated the Uruk army.

"Wow…" said Fred.

"And here I thought _we_ had it rough," said George, stunned.

"You have no idea," said Ron.

"Look!" cried Pippin, "Is that Edoras?"

Ron and Harry looked up. "Yep," they replied.

"Race you," said Fred. He kicked his horse and it dashed off, Merry yelling in surprise from behind him at the sudden change of speed.

"Not fair!" yelled Ron, nudging Telien and speeding off. Harry and George with Pippin followed quickly.

The others watched them race. Gandalf rolled his eyes. "They act like foolish children at times…"

Aragorn laughed. "Well they _do_ deserve to have some fun; after all they've been through."

"I suppose so," said the old wizard gruffly.

They continued to watch as Ron began to pull ahead of the others. Legolas suddenly grinned at Gimli. "Come on," he said, "Let's get back at him for Helm's Deep!"

"Don't even think about-ARRRGH!" Gimli roared as Arod suddenly plunged forward at top speed.

Even Gandalf suppressed a chuckle as they rode on, hearing Ron's shouts, "HEY! HEY! YOU LITTLE SHOW-OFFS, JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONGER THAN ME, AND I BEAT YOU AT HELM'S DEEP…YOU CAN'T ENTER A RACE LIKE THAT YOU CHEATERS, YOU…AAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

For Arod had just "accidentally" rammed into Telien and sent Ron flying. He landed sprawled on the ground, the wind completely knocked out of him. "You…" he gasped, "You…just wait…I'll get both of you…I swear…" And he watched helplessly as the others raced past him into Edoras.

George turned to Pippin. "I have an idea about how to beat them," he said, jerking his head towards Legolas and Gimli, "If you're willing to try the Harry maneuver."

"What's the Harry maneuver?" asked Pippin.

George whispered it to him. Pippin paled. "No way," he said.

"Would you rather lose?"

"Well…no."

"Then do it!"

Pippin waited until they were close enough, then clumsily climbed up George, balanced himself, and then jumped off the startled horse!

Fred actually stopped his horse to watch as Legolas turned around in time to see a screaming Pippin collide with him. All three of them fell off Arod and tumbled to the ground.

"Ha! Direct hit!" yelled George, pumping the air with his fist and stopping to scoop up Pippin before continuing towards the gates. "We win!"

"Not quite," said Harry, smirking from the shadows, "You guys really need to spend more time concentrating on riding then on cheating!"

"But…but…but…" stuttered George.

"It served you right," said Legolas, coming up from behind, "Cheating like that."

"Look who's talking," snarled Ron.

"Enough!" said an angry voice. They all turned around to see Gandalf looking at them sternly. "I understand that you all need to have some fun now and then, but you could have seriously hurt each other! I want no more of this dangerous nonsense!"

"Yes Mum," muttered Fred under his breath, so the wizard couldn't hear.

* * *

It was evening in the wilderness, and Hermione was having trouble sleeping. She could hear Gollum muttering in his sleep nearby, so at least she wasn't alone.

_Come on_, she thought wearily, _Think of something, that'll help distract your consciousness…_ So she started thinking about Harry and the others and wondering how they were doing. She hoped they weren't getting into too much trouble, but maybe they really could take care of themselves…

It was working; Hermione felt herself drifting off. Right as her eyelids began to droop, she thought she heard a cry, but then heard Gollum hissing, "Quiet! Mustn't wake them!"

_It's only Sméagol, _she thought sleepily, _Probably having nightmares…_ Then everything turned black.

* * *

Meanwhile in Rohan, nobody was feeling too sleepy. The atmosphere was very festive, and, as with all celebrations, Fred, George, Merry and Pippin were leading the pack!

After a solemn moment in which everyone remembered the people who had died in the battle at Helm's Deep, food was brought out and the banquet began, Ron eating as much as any hobbit. Then…

"DANCE PARTY!" yelled Fred.

Quite a few people cheered. At the twins' encouragement, a few of the musicians struck up a fast, joyful tune. A lot of the younger women seemed very eager to dance with Fred and George, and within a few minutes Harry was wondering how they had gotten so good.

Aragorn watched the party with growing enthusiasm, but then he saw something that made the grin slide off his face. Eowyn was approaching, and she looked like she was about to do the inevitable: ask him to dance.

His heart started to beat faster and he broke out in a sweat. What was he going to do? He certainly didn't want to hurt Eowyn's feelings, he liked her a lot and she had suffered enough in her life, but still…he loved Arwen…and he had never considered himself to be a good dancer…Eowyn drew closer.

"HEY RON!" called George, suddenly and exuberantly, "Why don't you go dance with Eowyn? I'll bet she'd LOVE it if you asked her!"

Eowyn turned deep red, muttered something about going to bring out more food, and fled. George danced closer to Aragorn.

"You owe me one," he said simply.

Aragorn smiled and nodded in thanks. Harry looked around to see what Ron thought of the whole thing. But it seemed that Ron wasn't paying any attention at all. He was sitting at a table with Legolas, Gimli, Eomer, and a gigantic barrel full of ale. Harry headed over to them.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Drinking game," replied Eomer, rolling his eyes in an amused sort of way.

"Last one standing wins!" said Gimli with a wild, eager laugh.

A girl by the name of Rilasseth was currently dancing with Fred. Her shrieks of laughter suddenly changed to a cry of pain as he dropped her.

"Drinking contest?" he asked excitedly, "Count me in!"

"Me too!" yelled George, "Don't worry ladies, we'll be back to dance with you later!" he called behind to the disappointed moans of the girls.

"I wouldn't bet on it," muttered Harry as the twins eagerly grabbed large mugs.

"Wait!" called Pippin, running forward, "We need your help!"

"What for?" asked Fred.

"Merry and I want to…er…provide a bit of entertainment I guess…"

"Say no more," said George, and both boys got up and followed Merry and Pippin into a separate room.

Harry turned back to watch the drinking contest, growing more entertained by the mug.

Ron and Gimli were trading insults with each other. "Ever drank before boy?" growled Gimli.

"Only butterbeer, and a little firewhiskey," replied Ron sheepishly.

"You never told me you drank firewhiskey…" Harry started to say, but neither Ron nor Gimli paid any attention to him.

"As I suspected," said Gimli triumphantly, "_Butterbeer_! What sort of nonsense is that?"

"You'd like it if you tried it," replied Ron.

"Yeah well, that won't exactly help you now will it boy? It's obvious that I can hold in more than you…" Gimli trailed off, as his mug hit the floor with a crash, and he slid off the seat, unconscious.

Legolas smiled mischeviously, "I guess it's down to you and me, my friend!"

"Bring it on!" roared Ron, pounding the table.

Legolas just continued to smile and held out for another mug, which Eomer happily supplied. _This should be easy_, he thought.

* * *

Hermione had just fallen asleep when she was rudely awakened by the sounds of Sam's yells and Gollum's shrieks. She was up in a flash, thinking they were being attacked. So it was not too surprising that fear turned to anger and frustration when she saw what was really going on. _Those two_! she thought fiercely, _Bickering all the time, when we could all be getting some much needed sleep! _She also noticed that they had actually woken up Frodo; he had actually gotten some sleep for once, and that only made her angrier.

"Both of you STOP!" she yelled, getting in between them. "Now tell me what's going on!"

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say, both were pointing at the other, their voices getting progressively louder.

"STOP!" Hermione screamed again. She pointed at Gollum. "Explain," she said fiercely. Frodo hung back, looking thunderstruck at her ability to handle an argument so effectively. But Dumbledore had not named Hermione Granger a Gryffindor prefect for nothing.

"The fat hobbit attacked poor Sméagol," wailed Gollum, "He hates us!"

"You filthy LIAR!" roared Sam.

"Sam," said Hermione, trying to keep her voice steady, "Perhaps _you'd _like to give your side of the story?"

"I heard it from his own mouth: he means to murder us!" cried Sam desperately.

"What!" asked Hermione, amid Gollum's shrieking that it was all lies, "Are you sure you weren't having a bad dream, Sam?"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" shouted Sam, and Hermione was suddenly reminded of Ron shouting at McGonagall in their third year, trying to prove that Sirius Black really _had_ entered his dormitory with a knife…maybe…maybe Sam _was_ telling the truth about Gollum all along.

But Frodo butted in at this point, trying to be the voice of reason. They simply couldn't turn Gollum loose at this point. Hermione knew he was right, they did need a guide, and Gollum was the only one who could show them. Besides, he knew too much. If he fell in the hands of the Enemy…

Still, Hermione may've been imagining it, now being extremely tired, but she could've sworn Gollum had a triumphant look on his face, gloating to himself as Frodo led him away from Sam.

* * *

"ANOTHER ONE THEN!" roared Ron. Quite a crowd had gathered at this point, growing rowdier by the minute. Harry and Eomer didn't dare look at each other, or they would've burst out laughing.

Neither Legolas nor Ron had given in yet. And the more they drank, the crazier they got.

"Great party," said Ron, gazing around the hall vaguely and chuckling, "I remember the time we had a ball at school, I asked a veela to go with me once, did you know that?"

"What's a veela?" asked Legolas with a grin.

"Really beautiful women…yeah, absolutely gorgeous…anyway…I asked one out y'know!"

"And what happened?" asked Legolas.

"She looked at him as if he were a giant slug and didn't answer at all!" Harry cut in. The men roared with laughter. Ron looked outraged.

"Ha ha, I remember you being one of the last ones to find a partner…"

In a side room from the party, the Fearsome Foursome were once again discussing battle tactics.

"All right, put it in his drink, and remember, if you fail, no more Exploding Snap," said Fred in a stage whisper.

Pippin nodded gravely. The stakes had just been raised.

Eomer did not notice a little hobbit getting closer and closer to the barrel of ale. "Eomer, get me another one over here!" yelled Ron, growing more and more excited.

Eomer nodded, filled another mug, and then…

"Whoops!" Pippin slipped and bumped into Eomer, knocking him over. He rolled over near the fallen mug and bent over it to pick it up. "Here you go Eomer," he said cheerfully.

"Thank you," said Eomer, and put some new drink in the mug.

"Ah yes," said Ron happily, taking it and swallowing the entire contents in one gulp. One moment he looked delighted, the next he started choking and gasping as his tongue began to swell…

Someone had obviously put something in Ron's drink, and there was no doubt in Harry's mind as to who. Sure enough, nearby, Fred, George and Merry were all doubled over laughing and slapping Pippin on the back.

"Do not be alarmed, dear friends!" George called out merrily as Harry ran over to help Ron, who had fallen out of his seat, clutching his tongue, "You have just witnessed the effects of powdered Ton-Tongue Toffee! Harry shall sort it out in a second…"

"But meanwhile, it looks like Legolas is the winner!" yelled Merry. Everyone cheered, even as Legolas went over to see if Ron was all right.

"He'll be fine, it's nothing I can't fix," said Harry, waving his wand and muttering, "_Reducio_!" Ron grinned weakly and then passed out.

"Well he would've lost anyway," said Legolas, with a smirk of satisfaction.

"That was crazy though," said Harry. Now that the game was over, it appeared that his common sense had returned. "You guys should've stopped a long time ago!"

"Here," said Fred, who had just come over, "I really can't believe I'm saying this, but looking at Ron now I think you guys did get carried away. Have some of this," he said to Legolas, handing him a small bottle.

"What's this?" asked Legolas, staring at the bottle suspiciously.

"A drinking antidote," he replied calmly, "George and I had to invent them or Mum would've found our secret stash of firewhiskey ages ago…and you should give Ron some too when he wakes up Harry."

"Good idea," said Harry, "I think I'd better put him to bed now."

"Theoden gave us a room," said Legolas, "It's the same one as last time; the one Aragorn put Gimli in a while ago."

"Thanks," said Harry, hoisting Ron on his shoulders and dragging him away. When he reached the room he was startled to find Pippin digging through some packs. "What's up?" he asked, dropping Ron on his pile of blankets. (There were so many guests coming that Theoden didn't have enough beds, so they had to make do with makeshift sleeping bags. Ron hadn't slept in his old room, claiming he wasn't leaving his friends now that he had found them again.)

Pippin jumped. "Oh, er, hi Harry!" he said.

"What are you doing?" asked Harry curiously.

"Nothing! Just looking for something…er…see you around…great party huh?" And Pippin ran out of the room, slamming the door shut.

Harry stared at the door, completely confused. What had Pippin been doing in other people's packs? And why couldn't he look with Harry in the room? What was he hiding?

A/N: I apologize for not updating. There's really no excuse, except for that wonderful night in which I got Book 6! What did you guys think?

To my most patient reviewers:

**Aussie-Girl3: **That song was actually indirectly inspired to me by another reviewer, Sukki-Alderea, I forgot to mention that. I'm glad you liked it!

**Eclipse: **Poor, poor Ron. Now he's gone and gotten himself just like his brothers! LOL Hermione's starting to scold Frodo and Sam the way she does with Harry and Ron, but what did you think of her in this chapter?

**MischeviousPuck: **Ginny will be in the next chapter. I'm happy to hear you love the Fearsome Foursome, maybe I should do a spin-off story with them? Hmmm…

**Lauren546: **Darn it! And here I was hoping I could write 'No reviewers were hurt or injured in the making of this fanfic!' Well I guess _that_ just went out the window! LOL

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **They do like to sing don't they? Unlike a lot of boys I know!

**Insanechildfanfic: **Thank you!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **First stoned, now drunk, what are we going to do with those boys? Hehe, the pact between Gimli and Legolas and Saruman's smoke thing are examples of parts of the book I found, read, and liked. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, I really am!

**Catwraith: **Thanks! Ginny's in the next chapter!

**Lisa Riddle: **I'm trying, but I'm not really good at writing romance! At least I'm not using as many movie lines as I might've done if I hadn't learned better from other reviewers. Thank you for the constructive criticism though, I appreciate it because it helps me a lot with my stories!

**Padfoot124: **Yup, I'm putting in as many alternated scenes as possible. I really loved the extended edition of the Return of the King!

**Darknesscomes: **Your rhymes are better than mine. I couldn't write poetry to save my life! LOL Thanks for your review!

**Brandy Lebeau: **Oh _that _scene! I dunno why I didn't put it in, now that I stop and think about it…I'll try to speed up the chapters from now on, but I won't make any promises in case I can't keep them!

**Genvessel: **Fred and George are the best! I love them too! Personally I think it'd be kind of cool if Wormtail experienced a change of heart and helped Harry kill Voldemort. He does owe him one.

**Winter Queen: **Well, in the area of romance, you've come to the right place, because I am a HUGE H/G shipper! In the beginning I thought it would be awesome if Voldemort and Sauron were working together, but it couldn't work because how could he have gone through the time portal? I kind of wish I had done it now, because I don't think many fics have the villains collaborate, and that would be the most ultimate challenge for the heroes! I must consider doing this in future fics! I'm not making that mistake again, unless I have no choice!

**Eleniel of the Stars: **Ooo, I'll have to read that! I liked By the Power of the Stars, but it's ok if you don't want to do it anymore. I think Fred and George with Merry and Pippin is my favorite part of the fic to write! Could you imagine a movie or book written by JKR or JRR Tolkien all about Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin? I'd spend my money on something like that any day!

**Brownie/Melody: **Of course I continued with the Return of the King! I wouldn't leave you all hanging; I'm not that cruel! I'm glad you like it!


	27. Dreams and Visions

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: It's almost here. That's right, B.L. (Before Laptop)is coming to a close! I shoudl be out buying one any day now! This'll be the last chapter on the family computer! YAY!

Chapter 27: Dreams and Visions

It was now very late, and the party in the Golden Hall had ended. While most of the people inside were on their way to bed, Harry was wandering through the hallways, searching for Aragorn. Something that he would normally have considered trivial was now occupying his mind, and he felt he needed to tell somebody what it was.

"Hey Harry! Where are you going? I thought you were with Ron."

Harry turned. It was George. "I was just looking for Aragorn," he replied.

"Is something bothering you?" asked the ranger himself, coming around the corner.

"Well…yeah," Harry wasn't sure whether he wanted to say this in front of George, as he was liable to stick up for the hobbit in question, but as he was staring at Harry expectantly, there wasn't too much that could be done. "You see, I got Ron in our room, and then I saw Pippin…" He proceeded to tell Aragorn about his strange encounter with Pippin.

Aragorn was frowning. "Did you find out what he was looking for?"

"Well, no."

"I'll bet he was looking for Saruman's stone thingy," George spoke up. Harry and Aragorn looked up, slightly surprised.

"How would you know that?" asked Harry.

"Because he wouldn't stop talking about it, and we were all wondering what it was. Merry reckoned we shouldn't touch it, since Gandalf wouldn't like it, but Pippin kept on talking about it so finally we dared him to find out what it was."

"You did _what_?" asked Aragorn sharply.

"I guess we shouldn't have done that?" replied George.

"No," said Aragorn, looking very serious, "You shouldn't have."

"Why? What is that thing?" insisted Harry.

"It is a palantir," explained Aragorn, "There are seven of them. Long ago the kings of Gondor and Arnor used them to communicate and see what was going on in different parts of the kingdom."

"Cool," said George.

"Yes, but now Sauron has one, and Gandalf believes he has been using it to communicate with Saruman."

"Oh," said George, reality sinking in, "So if one of us touched it…Sauron could see where we were?"

"Even worse, if Merry or Pippin touched it, he might suspect one of them as the hobbit with the Ring."

George winced. "Maybe we should just call off the dare then."

"I would advise you to do so."

"Aragorn," asked Harry as George left, "What are we going to do if one of them does pick it up by accident?"

"Let's just hope that Gandalf can keep it safe from them Harry," he replied.

* * *

Hermione tossed and turned in her sleep. Every now and then Gollum's sneering face would loom up in her dreams, causing her to wake up in fright. She was becoming utterly convinced that all was not well with the creature.

Then her dreams seemed to take a change for the better. She was standing in a beautiful green forest with a silver mist and birds singing cheerfully. She smiled and began to walk forward. There was the sound of hoof beats. Somebody was riding their horse along a nearby road.

Hermione peered through some more trees and was startled to see a whole group of elves walking along a path, looking beautiful and sad. They looked familiar, and she realized that they were all from Rivendell. A few of the noble elves were on horseback. One of them was a woman, and to Hermione, she was the most familiar of all.

"Arwen!" she gasped. Arwen didn't turn around. She continued to stare ahead, looking sad and deep in thought. Hermione called out to the elves, and walked through the trees next to the path, but none of them reacted. They walked past as though she weren't there.

"Where are you all going?" she asked. Nothing. _They can't hear me!_ she realized in wonder, _Why is that? Is this some sort of vision, like Harry gets? _But that couldn't be right, Harry only had visions because of his connection to Voldemort.

Arwen rode her horse slowly along with the rest of her people. Staring at her closely, Hermione thought she looked a little depressed. In fact, all the elves looked a little sad. _Where on earth could they all be going?_ She thought. _And why are there so many of them outside of Rivendell in one place?_

And then she remembered. Elrond and Arwen had told her all about the fate of the elves, how they would all eventually have to leave Middle Earth for a place called Valinor. Arwen had not wanted to go, because she wanted to stay with Aragorn, and Hermione had encouraged this. She believed in true love and thought Arwen's sacrifice was one of the most beautiful and romantic things she had ever heard of. But Elrond didn't appear to see it that way at all. He had kept pushing his daughter, trying to persuade her to leave. And now it was starting to look as though Arwen had caved in.

"Arwen!" called Hermione, beginning to panic, "Don't do it!" _I can't believe this, _she despaired, _Arwen probably really needed me there as a friend! Oh why did I leave with the rest of the Fellowship?_

Then Arwen slowly turned her head in Hermione's direction and seemed to freeze. Tears started to fill in her eyes. "Can you see me?" asked Hermione, "If you can, go back please!" Elrond might be disappointed, but Hermione could feel in her heart that it was the right thing to do.

Arwen didn't answer. But she did turn her horse and ride back in the opposite direction as fast as she could, ignoring the other elves' calls.

"Hermione? Hermione?"

Hermione felt the scene swirl and then opened her eyes to see Sam looking at her. "Begging your pardon, Miss Hermione, but you need to eat something before we move on."

"Oh. Thanks Sam," she said, puzzling over whether or not her dream had been real.

* * *

Pippin just couldn't sleep. George had warned him not to touch the palantir, but to no avail. He just _had_ to look at it again. Anyway, what George said didn't make any sense. How could he come into contact with Sauron via a strange black ball? Nothing had happened when he first picked it up and handed it to Gandalf, after all. What could possibly go wrong this time?

He was about to find out.

Harry was tossing and turning in a fitful sleep. He kept dreaming about playing Quidditch, but the dreams always ended with his broom catching on fire and his hands burning up and then falling off the broom into a black abyss. Suddenly he heard screaming and was awake in a flash.

At first it looked like Pippin was really on fire! Then he realized that the hobbit's hands were glued to a flaming black ball, the palantir. Merry was yelling for Gandalf and Fred and George were dashing out of the room to get help. Ron was just staring at the scene with his mouth hanging open.

Without even thinking about it, Harry leapt over and grabbed the palantir away from Pippin. Instantly he felt his hands lock themselves on the ball and his whole body felt like it was on fire. Worse still, something happened that he hadn't felt since he arrived in Middle Earth, something he never expected to happen. His scar burst in pain.

Harry rolled all around, screaming, wanting badly to press his hand against his forehead, but he couldn't free them from the palantir. Then a voice spoke in his head.

_Who are you?_

_Get off! Let go! _yelled Harry.

The Voice, or whatever it was, pressed harder. _Who ARE you!_

_I don't know, please get off, it hurts… _moaned Harry.

His head was teeming with visions…orcs massing at a black gate, prepared to attack…a city by a river in ruins…Hermione stumbling along in a dark land alone…

Suddenly everything stopped. The Voice was silenced, his scar stopped hurting, and the palantir was gone. Harry felt dizzy and ready to throw up, and he still felt like he had been burned. He collapsed in someone's arms and passed out.

* * *

Night had fallen over Osgiliath. Faramir stood in his lookout position, waiting for a report from one of his guards.

"So far we haven't heard of anything definite," the guard was saying, "We think the orcs are mostly likely coming from the North, and we haven't seen any below ground. All except…" He broke off.

"What?" asked Faramir.

"Well…it's hardly worth mentioning…just a rumor going among the men…"

"What is it?" asked Faramir more urgently.

"Well…some of the men down there said they thought they saw a shadow. A phantom, they called it. It's not an orc, they're saying, they don't know _what _it is…they've seen footprints, and it looks like a human's, but they can never find it, it always disappears before they can get a good look at it."

"Has it ever attacked anyone?" asked Faramir.

"No, it just runs away."

"Then tell the ones who saw it to leave it alone. This is a strange thing, but it's probably a homeless wanderer of some sort who doesn't want to be in contact with other people. You're sure it's not an orc?"

"Sir, the men are sure that orcs don't move that quietly and swiftly."

"Speak no more about it then, because I don't want the other soldiers to jump to conclusions and panic. It has no importance to the conflict at hand."

As a matter of fact, it wasn't a phantom, a wanderer, or an orc. It was Ginny, and she prided herself on how well she had stayed away from the soldiers, lest she get caught. She wanted to be near the upcoming battle so she could prove herself to Faramir once in for all, and so she had exciting things to tell the others when she finally caught up with them. Hermione was off destroying an evil ring, Harry, Fred, and George were fighting Sauron's armies, and here she had to stay behind, in safety, away from her new friends.

Ginny's plan had originally been to keep watch in case an attack came from below. But she got tired, and eventually fell asleep. And like Hermione, she was having a very strange dream.

She was walking through some sort of tunnel, her heart beating very fast. She stumbled and landed in some sort of sticky string, a web. Then there was a clicking noise behind her, and suddenly Ginny was tearing down the tunnel, screaming, for some strange reason, for Frodo and Sam. Ginny had met both hobbits, but she wasn't as attached to them as Hermione had been. She tumbled through a small hole and ran straight into a massive web, where she dangled helplessly, like a fly she had seen get caught once in a web at the Burrow. Ginny screamed for help again as she heard something gigantic creep up behind her, closer and closer, and then she woke up, shaking all over.

"That was weird," she murmured, and went back to sleep again.

* * *

"Harry? Harry?"

Harry groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Ron, Fred, George, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were staring down at him with grim expressions on their faces. Aragorn, Harry noticed, was gently pressing a cold wet cloth against his scar.

"What happened?" he moaned.

"That's what we'd all like to know," replied Gimli.

"Why?" asked Harry worriedly, "Is Pippin all right?"

"Gandalf and Merry are with him now," said Fred, "We would've gone with him, but you were going crazy, so we decided to stay here."

"We think that despite embarrassment and a lack of curiosity from now on," continued George, "Pippin will be just fine."

"So what happened to me?" asked Harry slowly.

"You just went berserk!" said Ron, "I hadn't seen anything like it since…well…since Dad was attacked."

"But what happened?" Harry pressed.

"You were rolling around on the floor, yelling louder than Pippin," said Legolas, "And when Ron kicked the palantir away from you, you started clutching your scar."

"Luckily, Ron had seen it before and knew exactly what to do," said Fred, "Aragorn caught you as you fell, and Ron got a pitcher of cold water and started dripping it on your scar."

"But…why?"

"Because we were worried about you!"

"No…I mean why'd I react that way?"

"Because you have a connection to bad guys?" George shrugged, "Who knows?"

"When you're feeling better Harry, Gandalf would like to speak with you," said a voice. Harry looked up. It was King Theoden.

"I'll be there in a minute," he mumbled, and closed his eyes. Aragorn continued to press the cloth to his face. It was such a calm, soothing feeling that in minutes he was fast asleep again.

**To my reviewers:**

**Eclipse: **I like Hermione too! Ron won't get a hangover though, 'cause that's how Fred's little potion works: no side effects!

**MischeviousPuck: **Ah the Race! Based on a true story! Well…not really. But my brother and I will definitely do whatever it takes to win a race! But Ron will never get one over Fred&George. Not ever. They're too clever for him!

**Eleniel of the Stars: **See what I like to do is take really dark, scary moments and make them funny! That's the way my sense of humor operates, for some reason. Don't give up on "Darkness"! I'm looking forward to reading it!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **Very good! It was the palantir! Actually, the drinking contest wasn't fully my idea, it was in the extended version of the Return of the King movie. Adding Ron and the Ton-Tongue Toffee were my ideas though. Legolas put down all that ale because he's an elf, and had the capability to do it. Ron only survived because he's a wizard! But he was no match for Ton-Tongue Toffee!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **I finished reading the 6th book at 4:00 P.M. on the 16th. I figured this was no great feat among Potter fans, and I could've gotten it done faster if I hadn't been forced to go to bed after midnight. But in my home it's an amazing, and slightly obsessive thing to do! Anyways, Hermione is starting to believe Sam. It's taking a while though. I wouldn't call Ron, Legolas, and Gimli "friendly competition" however. It always _starts _that way, but they always get out of hand! ;)

**Brandy Lebeau: **groans and bashes head against computer I know, I know!

**HotShot14: **Thanks! I always thought I was bad with tragedy. I get good ideas, but I always think my stuff sounds too sappy. I'm glad to hear someone likes it!

**Darknesscomes: **Thanks again!

**Genvessel: **gasp Not One Tree Hill! Nooo…I've never seen it, but I've seen enough previews to know it's not the type of show I like to watch. Though I'd much rather watch _that_ then babysit screaming kids during a thunderstorm!

**Brownie/Melody: **Poor Ron! He'll never be up there with Fred and George! LOL, no, the spray bottle didn't work! Oh well. Pippin will learn…eventually!

**Phantom666: **Thanks, I most certainly will!

**Harrypfan001 TEACHERLADY: **Thank you SO much! Well, the sequel will take place in Book 7, but I won't give away anything else now or I'll spoil everything!

**Bookyboo: **Thanks, I love writing humor!

**Winter Queen: **Thanks for the ideas, I pretty much have the ending mapped out, but this won't be the end of the Hogwarts crew having adventures with their friends from Middle Earth! (They all thought Sauron was bad, wait'll they see Voldemort!) But you're right about one thing: I could never leave the twins in Middle Earth. It'd be too cruel to the rest of the hobbits! (I mean really, who needs that whole Scouring of the Shire thing when you have those two on the loose! Lol)

**Prongs-gurl202113: **Thanks, I'll try!


	28. The Attack Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 28: The Attack Begins

Harry woke up to feel sunlight on his face. It was morning. The room he was in was completely empty. He sat up, trying to think of what had happened.

Then it all came rushing back. Pippin, the palantir, everything. He also remembered guiltily that Gandalf had wanted to speak to him, but he had fallen asleep. Quickly he got up, dressed, and left the room.

Outside everyone was bustling around. Then someone yelled out, "Harry!" Harry turned around. Pippin was running towards him. "I'm so sorry Harry!" he cried, hugging Harry's waist and reminding the boy forcibly of Dobby the house-elf. "Merry, Fred, and George told me what happened to you!"

"It's all right, it wasn't your fault," said Harry, "I just wasn't thinking at the time."

"Neither was I," said Pippin, "I feel stupid now, especially after the looks I've gotten from Gandalf. Now all the sudden he tells me we're leaving."

"You are?" asked Harry in surprise.

"I think so," said Pippin, "Ask him yourself. He's with King Theoden."

Harry walked through the hallways until he got to the Hall of the King. There he found Gandalf and Theoden deep in conversation. Gandalf turned when he heard the door close, and headed straight for Harry.

"Ah Harry," he said, "I trust you slept well?"

"Sorry Gandalf, I just got so tired…"

"That's quite all right," said the old wizard, "It was quite an ordeal for you to go through. I assume you told Sauron nothing about the Ring?"

"No, of course not…was that Sauron's voice I heard?"

"Yes," said Gandalf gravely, "What did he say to you, and most important, what did _you_ tell him?"

"He just kept asking who I was. I didn't tell him anything, I just kept begging him to get off." Harry shuddered.

"Well then, the chances are he won't have guessed who you are," said Gandalf, "At any rate, we hope that he thinks Pippin was communicating from Isengard."

"Can't he tell?" asked Harry.

"Oh he knows which palantir he is in contact with, but not necessarily where it is. For example, last night, he knew he was communicating with Saruman's palantir, but unless he knows what happened at Isengard, he did not know it was in Edoras. At least, I hope that is the case, it will give us a head start."

"Why? Where are you going?" asked Harry.

"To Minas Tirith, the great city of Gondor," replied Gandalf, "And I'm taking Pippin with me. He will be safe from Sauron there, for the time being. As for why, it is because not only will Sauron now assume that Pippin has his Ring, but Pippin saw in the palantir a bit of Sauron's plans: attack Minas Tirith before the king (Aragorn of course) can return."

"Are you going to warn them?" asked Harry, "And do I have to come too? What about Merry, Fred and George?"

"Of course I'm going to warn them, but you would be better off staying here. Theoden and Aragorn can look after you if there is danger. As for Merry, Fred, and George, they are staying here."

"But Gandalf…does Pippin know?"

Gandalf looked sad. "Not exactly," he said, "I don't want to separate them all after all they've been through, but I have no choice. Besides, it will be good for Pippin to learn how to really fend for himself in the world. He is really an adult hobbit, and he will not always have people there to look after him."

Harry knew Gandalf was right, but he didn't want to imagine how the twins would feel if they knew they were being torn apart from one of their good friends.

"Oh Gandalf?"

"Yes Harry?"

"I have a few questions."

"And what are they?"

"First, when I looked into the palantir, I had a vision of Hermione walking through Mordor alone. Do you think Sauron knows where she is?"

Gandalf thought for a moment. "I don't think so Harry," he said finally, "I think Sauron was simply trying to probe your mind, and in doing so; found one of your fears."

"So Hermione's in danger!"

"Not yet. She's already in danger as it is. But we can hope Sauron will not know what to make of this information. Remember, he is searching for hobbits, not human girls, carrying his precious Ring."

"All right," said Harry, "And also Gandalf, when I touched the palantir, my scar hurt." He explained to Gandalf everything that Dumbledore had told him about his scar. "Why did it hurt like that?" he asked.

"Most likely Harry, that scar is evil and has a powerful effect on some areas of your mind. When a Dark Lord like Sauron touched your mind, it caused your scar to burn."

"So…it has nothing to do with Voldemort?"

"Certainly not in a physical sense. Though you cannot deny the connection between your Voldemort and Sauron. Both were once bodiless, both are desperate for power, and desperate to remove any possible threat without bothering to ask questions first. In other words, they are both tyrants, and both need to be removed from the land as efficiently as possible."

Harry thought Gandalf sounded a lot like Dumbledore, and it made his head swim. But he felt comforted all the same. "Thanks Gandalf," he said.

"Don't mention it my dear boy," he replied.

* * *

Frodo, Sam, Hermione, and Gollum continued their trek towards Mount Doom. Frodo and Gollum's thoughts were filled with the Ring, but for different reasons. Sam was busy trying to think of ways to prove Gollum's treachery. Hermione's thoughts focused on something entirely different and apart from the Quest. 

"Sam?" she asked suddenly, "Have you ever had a strange dream about something, and it seemed really real?"

Sam screwed his face in concentration. "I can't really remember my dreams," he replied, "Not too long ago I had a dream I was in the Shire and I found a secret orchard full of delicious apples, but then Merry and Pippin stole them and I woke up. Does that help?"

"Not really," Hermione grinned.

"I had a dream once that I saw Gandalf pacing along the roof of a tower in the moonlight," Frodo broke in softly, "And I was shocked when I found out it had been real. I was seeing him imprisoned at Isengard."

"Really?" asked Hermione, a little startled and intrigued, "That's very interesting."

"What was your dream?" asked Frodo.

"Oh…just a dream about Arwen and some of my elven friends from Rivendell," she replied innocently, "They were walking through a wood, and I called out to them, but they couldn't see or hear me. I just thought it was weird."

"Dreaming about nasty elveses that ignore you, we've had dreams too, oh yes we have precious," Gollum muttered darkly in front of them.

"No one asked you!" yelled Sam.

"Oh Sam don't!" cried Hermione.

"Look at that!" said Frodo suddenly, trying to change the subject before a fight broke out.

"What?" asked Sam, looking around.

"Oh my goodness," gasped Hermione, looking up, "What…_happened_!"

She was staring and pointing at a huge statue. Its head was missing, and in its place was a huge boulder.

"I think these lands were once part of the kingdom of Gondor," said Frodo solemnly.

Hermione stared sadly at the statue for a moment, and then turned to follow the others. Suddenly the sun poured in and Sam caught sight of the head on the ground, a wreath of white flowers growing around it.

"Mr. Frodo, Hermione, look," he said, "The king's wearing a crown again."

Hermione smiled, and a thought struck her. "_Reducto_!" she yelled, and the boulder was smashed to bits. Next she turned to the king's head. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!" The head rose in the air, and Hermione used her wand to guide it toward the top of the statue before gently setting it down. "_Reparo_!" she said finally, and there was the statue, good as new, with the addition of the wreath on its head. Hermione smiled in a self-satisfied way and followed Gollum, leaving a shocked Frodo and Sam in her wake.

"Good to have a witch around," muttered Sam.

* * *

The deed had been done. After a bitter parting between the Fearsome Foursome, Gandalf set off with Pippin. Harry watched sadly as Merry, Fred, and George raced up a lookout post to watch their friend leave. Aragorn followed, and came down a few minutes later, shaking his head. 

"Are they all right?" asked Harry.

"Fine," said Aragorn, "They know it's all for the best, and now they're plotting what to do to welcome him back!"

"Fred and George, they tend to bounce back," said Harry with a smile.

"Yes indeed," replied Aragorn, "And now they're also talking about something called Exploding Snap and deciding who the real winner is!"

"Don't look at me, I have no idea," said Harry, "And I'd rather not find out." They both laughed and headed back for the Golden Hall.

* * *

That night, Ginny found herself yet again trying not to fall asleep. A fine thing it would be if orcs attacked Osgiliath and she could've stopped it! But nothing had happened yet, and she was starting to let down her guard. 

Then she heard a strange plopping noise. At first she took no notice. Then she heard it again, far off and faint, but close enough to hear. And there was something else in the distance. Lights. The kind of lights that came from torches. And there were many of them on the river.

It hit Ginny in an instant what it all meant. The attack had come. As fast as she could, she dashed to the opening in the sewer and stole quietly into the city, looking for Faramir, to warn him, before he and his army were taken by surprise.

* * *

Not too far away something else was happening. Hermione, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum were approaching Minas Morgul. 

"The Dead City," announced Gollum, "Very nasty place. Full of enemies." He shot Sam a look as he said it.

Hermione followed the hobbits out from behind their hiding place. Together they stared at the stone tower, guarded by evil looking statues. The whole place gave off a greenish glow and had a creepy feel in the air.

"Look! Look! We have found it! The way into Mordor! The Secret Stairs! Climb!" ordered Gollum excitedly. Hermione looked and saw a set of very narrow stairs carved into the mountain, so they were almost invisible.

"Ohhhh," she moaned.

"What is it Miss?" asked Gollum, in what Hermione almost thought sounded like a sneering voice.

"I don't like heights," she murmured.

"Well, I don't like them either," said Sam grimly, "But there's nothing else for it. Let's go!"

Hermione turned to look one last time at the ground…and saw Frodo walking as though in a trance towards Minas Morgul. "Frodo?" she called, "What are you doing?"

"Not that way!" shrieked Gollum in panic, and together he and Sam leapt down and started dragging Frodo away.

"They're calling me," whispered Frodo, and he struggled to get away.

"Oh no you don't!" grunted Hermione, and lifted the hobbit up and ran towards the stairs.

Then it happened.

The top of the tower seemed to explode as swirling green light filled the air and a piercing sound that Hermione had heard before back in the Dead Marshes and Osgiliath came with it. A huge winged beast flew out. On top of it was the deadliest of the Ringwraiths: their Leader, the Witch King. He let out a shriek that caused Frodo to cry out in pain and grip his shoulder. Then the gates opened, and Hermione couldn't resist a peek. What she saw nearly made her faint in terror.

Orcs. A massive army of orcs, all marching under the command of the Witch King, carrying deadly weapons and banners from Mordor. Hermione didn't know they were headed for Minas Tirith, and she didn't care. All she knew was that the peoples of Middle Earth were in very deep trouble if they were going to be attacked by an army of that size, led by such a fearsome leader. Finally, after much urging from Gollum, she found the strength to move again.

* * *

Faramir and his lieutenant were standing peacefully keeping watch. They were sure no attack was coming tonight. They were wrong. 

Shouts from the men told Faramir something was afoot. But he never expected to turn around and see Ginny, gasping and clutching a stitch in her chest. "Ginny Weasley!" he gasped, "What are you doing here!"

"I…came…to…warn…you," she gasped, "Orcs…coming…underneath…by river…hurry…"

"What?" cried Faramir in alarm, "What's this you're saying?"

More cries issued and Faramir and Ginny looked up into time to see one of the sentries fall, an orc arrow sticking out of his chest. "Thank you Ginny!" said Faramir, "Stay here while I get the soldiers down by the river."

Ginny was exhausted, and hungry, and fuming silently. _Stay here? STAY HERE! Is he serious? _she thought furiously, _Well, I'll show him!_

**To my reviewers: **

**Tubbles14: **Thank you! I've been trying my best to make it all work! I'm glad you like it!

**Nathalia Potter: **I'm updating as fast as I can. That's interesting about the "walking out" bit, I never knew that! It just goes to show that you really do learn something new every day!

**Harrypfan001 TEACHER LADY: **Thanx! How was this?

**Brandy Lebeau: **I would like to get it finished before school too! We're more than halfway done, so it's possible!

**Brownie/Melody: **Well, ok, I didn't get the laptop yet, but I SWEAR I'm getting it tomorrow, unless some freak disaster occurs! Well, I suppose Fred and George have learned a little lesson about what happens when you dare people! At least Gandalf hadn't given Harry too much of hard time, because he was really only trying to help, unlike Pippin, who simply let his curiosity get the better of him!

**Genvessel: **Yeah, it's a wonder people say he's mad, poor thing! I hope the laptop helps me too, I shall be getting it tomorrow!


	29. Osgiliath Overrun

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I got my laptop! YAY! It's the best thing ever! Now I can write a lot in my room whenever I want!

Chapter 29: Osgiliath Overrun

Middle Earth had, in some ways, toughened Ginny. She wouldn't have normally grabbed the helmet of the dead sentry, her former comrade, in order to protect her own head. She might not have taken his weapons either. All Faramir had given her when she first arrived in Gondor was a small dagger, "just in case". He would never dream of letting her participate in real battles.

But Ginny wasn't like most girls. She couldn't stand to see others go into battle and leave her behind "in safety". So that's why she took her dead comrade's helmet, sword, and spear and prepared to go back to the river with the rest of the men.

Faramir wasn't paying attention to the soldiers. He was too busy arranging them to attack the enemy. So he never noticed a stowaway in the group. It didn't matter anyway. He could hardly yell at her now, it would give away their position.

Ginny positioned herself with her back to the wall, listening and waiting, her sword drawn. Then she heard splashing noises and the sounds of orcs drawing their swords and stepping onto ground. She and the others waited until the army was well on their way in before lunging out suddenly and attacking.

It was harder than she had anticipated. The orcs were brutal. But at the same time, any orc that assumed women were no good in battle quickly realized how mistaken they had been. Soon none of them seemed to want to go near the fiery girl. She was a natural with a sword, weaving in and out among the orcs, slicing at them and always dodging what would have been fatal blows quite easily. She had definitely inherited the twins' talent.

* * *

Hermione was very worried. She had distinctly heard Sam ask Gollum what exactly was in the tunnel they were headed for and then threatening him. The tension between the two of them was thick, and bound to break soon. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Hermione had been struggling to climb the stairs, when she looked over Sam's shoulder and saw Gollum muttering something in Frodo's ear. Frodo said nothing in return, but whipped around, stared at Sam, and gripped the Ring around his neck. It made Hermione very nervous to think what Gollum had been telling him. She had used to feel sorry for the wretched hobbit known as Sméagol, thinking that he was misunderstood and possibly a bit mental, but she had never seen him as truly dangerous. Now she wasn't so sure. If Sam was to be believed, then he wanted to kill them, possibly via the tunnel, or maybe once in Mordor. Hermione shuddered. She always tried to see the good in people, but sometimes people made that very difficult. And now it looked like Gollum had Frodo as an ally.

_What'll I do if he tries to sweet talk me?_ she wondered. Only time would tell what would occur.

* * *

Dawn appeared, and Ginny was still at it. The orcs had continued to pour in, and she knew it was only a matter of time before the city was overrun. She could now hardly stand on her own two feet, coming dangerously close several times to being run over.

A huge hairy orc leapt out at Faramir and tackled him to the ground. They rolled around for a few minutes, and the orc found himself on top. He took his sword and was about to plunge it into the man underneath him when he made a gasping noise and saw another blade sticking out of his chest. It rolled over, dead. Faramir looked up and saw who his rescuer was. "_Ginny_?"

"Not too bad for a girl, eh?" she said, smirking, "Glad I stayed?"

Faramir could only nod wordlessly.

A loud shriek filled the sky. The Witch King had arrived, along with a few other Ringwraiths. Their winged steeds were diving down, grasping men in their claws, and then dropping them from a huge height. It was then Ginny knew that it was all over.

"Pull back! Pull back to Minas Tirith!" yelled Faramir.

"Wait!" cried Ginny helplessly as men everywhere mounted their horses and made a dash for the exit. She was lost. Her own horse wasn't with her. Or so she thought.

A familiar whinny caused Ginny to turn around. "Snout!" she cried. The little black horse with an unusually long nose came galloping toward her. Ginny mounted him and then pulled at the reins. "Let's get out of here!" she yelled. Snout didn't need persuading. He hated orcs. With another whinny they were gone.

* * *

Back at Edoras, Harry, Aragorn, and Ron were sitting by one of the city's higher points. "Hey," said Harry suddenly, "Is that a fire on the mountain?"

Aragorn was up in a flash, staring fixedly at the flame. "What is it?" asked Harry in concern.

"It is a signal from Gondor," he replied quietly, "They are calling for aid!" Then he ran off in the direction of the Golden Hall.

"What was all that about?" asked Harry to Ron.

"I think I remember hearing about this," said Ron thoughtfully, "I think it was Eomer who told me. Apparently Rohan and Gondor communicated through a series of beacons set out along the mountains. They did it whenever they needed help from an enemy."

"Wow," said Harry, "But who lights the beacons?"

"I think they have men who live up there that do that."

"_They spend their entire lives waiting to see if they need to light a beacon_?" asked Harry incredulously.

"I think so. Ask Hermione."

"I can't."

Ron stopped. "Oh yeah," he said softly, "I forgot."

"How could you possibly forget?"

"It's just kind of hard sometimes…you know what I mean?" Ron looked at him uncertainly.

"Yeah, I think so," said Harry. He noticed, for some reason, that Ron looked awkward talking about it, and decided to change the subject. "Come on; let's get back down so we can find out what everyone's doing about Gondor."

* * *

Ginny was riding as fast as she could. "Come _on _Snout!" she moaned. The Ringwraiths were attacking riders right and left. So far, Ginny had managed to avoid them, but she didn't know how long she could continue.

_If only I could remember how to do that Patronus spell_, she thought. Harry had explained it to the DA. Ginny remembered him saying that the words were _Expecto Patronum_, and you had to think of something happy, but she had never tried it before.

There was no need. Suddenly a bright white light shone that drove away the Witch King and his minions. _Another wizard_, Ginny reasoned, but that was impossible, there weren't any wizards living in Minas Tirith. She decided to ride with the rest of them and get the full scoop inside the city.

Everyone inside crowded around as the survivors dismounted and headed for their families. Ginny saw Faramir head for the white-robed figure that had driven away the Ringwraiths. Next to him was a little man with curly brown hair and furry feet. _Why, it's a hobbit_! she realized with delight. She quickly decided to approach them.

"Hello," she said, "Who are they Faramir?"

"This," said Faramir, "Is Mithrandir, or Gandalf as your friends told you."

"I thought you were dead!" Ginny blurted out in shock.

"I came back," said Gandalf simply, "You must be Ginny Weasley. I've heard so much about you."

"You're Ginny?" said the hobbit, "Fred and George's sister?"

"Merry or Pippin, I presume?" she said with a smile.

"Pippin!" he said eagerly, "Is it true that you hit people with that spell the Bat-Bogey Hex when they annoy you?"

"Did they tell you that?" she asked in amusement.

"A lot more," said Pippin, "How you're good at Quidditch and really clever, hey, do you play Exploding Snap?"

"They said that?" asked Ginny, feeling surprised and touched.

"Yeah, do you play Exploding Snap?"

"Of course! Do you have a deck?"

"Fred gave me one before I left!"

"All right! Let's go somewhere quiet and play! Just be prepared to lose!"

"You are looking at the Champion of Exploding Snap!"

"We'll see," said Ginny. _My goodness_, she thought, _He's exactly like my brothers_!

* * *

"What's up?" Ron asked Legolas.

"We're riding for Gondor," he replied.

"Excellent!" said Ron, "When?"

"As soon as possible. Eomer's riding out to summon more men as we speak."

"We're going off to battle!" said Fred happily, as if Christmas was early this year.

"Guess what!" yelled Merry enthusiastically, "King Théoden just named me an esquire of Rohan!"

"He _what_?" exclaimed Fred. George dropped his sword.

"I offered him my service, and he accepted!"

"That's not fair! I want to be an esquire too!" cried George.

"Do you even know what that is?" asked Harry with amusement.

"Who cares?" said Fred, "We'll probably go down in history for it!"

"But you can't _all_ be esquires," said Legolas exasperatedly.

"Why not?"

"Don't you young masters have enough to be doing?" growled Gimli.

"We're not young, we're of age!" protested George. But Harry noticed they did not pursue the matter of Merry's "promotion" anymore.

Gimli stared around at his fellow soldiers. The others knew only too well that he thought, dwarves were far better at war than anyone else. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he let out a snort and muttered, "Horsemen! I wish we had an army of dwarves to aid us, fully armed and filthy!"

"Your kinsmen have no need to ride to war," replied Legolas gravely, "I fear war already marches on them."

"Can you see all that?" asked Ron in amazement.

"A bit," said Legolas, "Only blurs and dark shapes. Nothing definite."

"Could you see my sister?" asked Ron, "I want to know where she is."

"That depends," said Legolas, "I wouldn't know where to look." Catching the worried look on Ron's face he added, "I'm sure your sister is safe. She sounds like a girl who can take care of herself."

* * *

"I don't believe it," whispered Pippin.

"Give up yet?" teased Ginny.

"One more game!" said Pippin, "I'll beat you this time!"

"That's what you said last game." At this point Ginny looked up and saw Faramir and Gandalf walking along, deep in conversation.

"I wonder what they're talking about?" said Pippin.

"Faramir's probably telling Gandalf about how we saw Frodo, Sam, and Hermione."

"You _did?_" exclaimed Pippin, "Where? When? How are they?"

"They're just fine," replied Ginny assuringly, and she proceeded to tell him everything Hermione had told her, about meeting Gollum and the Dead Marshes and how they couldn't get through the Black Gate so now they were headed for a pass by Minas Morgul.

"Minas Morgul," muttered Pippin, "Where've I heard that name before?"

"I don't know too much about it myself, except that it used to be an ancient city in Gondor until the Witch King came along and took it over."

"But isn't that a dangerous way to go?" cried Pippin.

"Pippin, they're going to _Mordor_," said Ginny.

"Oh right."

* * *

"Ok everyone," said Fred solemnly to the group, "Aragorn is riding with King Théoden, so he is missing out on this. You must understand that when we were with the American Muggle-borns at the Quidditch World Cup, we learned some _very_ annoying and some _very_ embarrassing songs. So here are the rules: the race starts from here to the camp at Dunharrow, with breaks when we all stop for the night. Whoever comes in last must ride around Dunharrowsinging the song that George and I pick for you. I'm going to suggest we have a nice clean fight, but we all know that's never going to happen, so I'll say no cheating for anyone underage."

"But that's just me and Harry!" cried Ron indignantly.

"Poor you," said Fred, "Those are the rules. Take 'em or leave 'em. And always remember, it's ok to leave 'em, just be prepared to be looked on as a coward for the rest of your life."

"I'm not a coward!" shouted Ron.

"Never said you were," said Fred calmly.

"You little…I'll show you! Come on, Harry, let's beat these guys so bad they won't know what hit them!"

"I'm sure you'll impress us all," said Fred. Harry followed Ron away, trying not to laugh. Fred, George, Merry, Legolas, and Gimli were not as gracious. They waited until the other two were out of earshot before bursting out laughing.

"Knew he'd go for that," said Fred, "It works every time!"

"What's the song you're going to make him sing?" asked Merry eagerly.

"We're not telling, mostly because we don't know who the loser is. It could be you for all we know," replied George.

"Fine," grumbled Merry. The others could tell he didn't like the idea of being the loser.

A/N: And now, a special message to my readers! It is time for YOU to participate in the story! That's right folks, I need your help! If you can think of a stupid, embarrassing song for the loser of the race to sing, put it in you review! I'm pretty sure I know who the loser will be, so don't worry about that, but if you know a REALLY good song, let me know!

**To my reviewers:**

**Genvessel: **You're right! sigh Poor Faramir, he'll never learn will he?

**Rogue Kaiya: **Wow, I guess I do have silent readers after all! I guess everybody does! Well, thank you for your review, they always make me feel so good!

**Prongs-gurl202113: **Thanks; I'm doing the best I can!

**Harrypfan001 TEACHER LADY: **I shall try! Thanks for the review!

**Lauren546: **Yay, I love battles! That sounds terrible, but they're always the best parts of the movies, with the exception of a Merry and Pippin moment!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **That's ok. You're forgiven. As this is RotK, of course there are going to be very serious moments. But you can bet there will be humor too, I feel in my element there.

**Brandy Lebeau: **LOL, maybe Ginny should sit Faramir and Ron down and have a nice long talk about what she can and can't handle…

**LillyFan78: **Ooo, I do that all the time too! The ending…ah yes…the ending! Fun fun FUN!


	30. Ginny Strikes Again

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: Very early on in this chapter we find Ginny showing Pippin around Minas Tirith. I know next to nothing about the layout of Minas Tirith save what I've seen in the movies. This means the stuff she says came out of my own head, based on what I've seen in the movies and my own imagination. I'm _pretty_ sure I heard somewhere that there are exactly nine levels to Minas Tirith, but I'm not _positive_, so don't kill me if I got that wrong.

Chapter 30: Ginny Strikes Again

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Six horses went flying past all the others. Harry was on Thalion, Ron on Telien, Legolas on Arod, Merry on a pony that he called Mushroom, ("I was thinking of eating!" he said when he caught the others' expressions.) and Fred and George on two horses that they had affectionately named Filibuster and Zonko. Gimli had decided to ride with Aragorn instead.

"Are you sure don't want to race?" Legolas teased. Gimli just gave him a Look.

It didn't take long for Ron to be ahead of the others. Because he wasn't allowed to cheat, he decided to use a few riding tricks he had learned from the months he lived in Edoras. By far the one that worked the best was when he leaned forward and whispered to Telien, "A few lumps of sugar go to the horse that gets to Dunharrow first!" Telien didn't really know English, but he had pretty much figured out what the words "lumps of sugar" meant.

The result was that he was far in the lead, although Legolas was quickly gaining ground with Arod. Harry was a bit surprised to turn and see that Fred and George didn't look disappointed with their brother's performance. On the contrary, they looked positively gleeful. Harry could only assume that they had something up their sleeves.

* * *

"So Pippin," said Ginny, "What do you think of Minas Tirith?"

"It's very nice," he replied, "But I haven't seen too much of it yet."

"What!" cried Ginny, "Then I'll have to give you the grand tour! We'll start on the bottom level, and we'll take Snout, because it'll take too long to walk."

It was a tight fit, but both managed to fit on the little horse, who whinnied happily and broke out in trot.

"A little bit faster," muttered Ginny, "Ok, there we go. Well, the first couple of levels are where all the shops are. They're at the bottom because it's more convenient for merchants coming in and out of the city."

"You know a lot about the city," said Pippin admiringly.

"It's common sense," replied Ginny, "Oh look, that stand's always been one of my favorites, they have the best apples!" And she stopped Snout to buy three. "Here," she said, tossing one to Pippin.

He took a bite. "It's delicious!" he exclaimed, "They taste like the ones from the Shire!"

"That's probably because it grew near the Shire. Or at least, one of its ancestors did. This particular shop gets seeds for growing apple trees all the way over the Misty Mountains in the West. It's very expensive trade, and so are these apples, but I live with Faramir, whose father is the Steward, Denethor…"

"I've met him," said Pippin, "I'm in his service now, in payment for Boromir dying to save me and Merry."

"Now why would you do a thing like that?" said Ginny, sounding shocked, "I mean, it was very kind and generous of you and everything, but you can bet Lord Denethor won't see it that way. He'll just take advantage of you. What's he made you do so far?"

"I've been made a guard of the citadel."

"Just like I thought. A guard! In a time of warfare! And it's so obvious how inexperienced you are, no offense."

"None taken."

"Good. I mean really, what is he thinking? He must be out of his mind!"

"Gandalf seems to think so. He's pretty disgusted."

"And well he should. The man is _insufferable_," she said, hissing the last part in a low voice, so no one but herself and Pippin could here. "Anyway, what were we talking about?"

"The apples," said Pippin.

"Oh right. Well, as bad as Denethor is, I can at least get these pricy apples at times because he can afford it. And I think he likes me, in a way. He says he admires my valor whenever I get into a fight with Faramir about putting me in battle too. I think it's because Boromir found me and because apparently I'm a bit like him. Both stubborn and courageous, according to Faramir."

"Where do they grow the apples?" asked Pippin, keen to get off the subject of Denethor and his family.

"Oh, they're in the woods of Ithilien," she replied, "You've seen them right?"

"From far away. I've never actually been in them."

"Well," sighed Ginny, "I suppose it's too late now. Nobody can leave the city anymore, it's too dangerous. Maybe someday, if this ends and we've survived, I'll have to take you to see it. It really is beautiful at times."

Pippin thought this sounded a bit ominous. "And where are we now?"

"Oh, well we've left ground level obviously, and then now we're on the first level and there are still shops…"

"How many levels are there?" asked Pippin.

"Nine," answered Ginny, "The first few levels are for the shops, as you know, and then the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels are where all the people live."

"How many people live here?" asked Pippin, wide-eyed.

"Enough," was the reply, "The seventh and eight levels are the soldiers quarters. Lately we've been recruiting more and more of them. And the ninth, the top level, is where the palace is. It used to belong to the King, but the line broke off ages ago, so now the Steward lives there, and Faramir and me."

"Ginny? What exactly is a steward?"

"A steward takes care of the throne while the king is away. He has the powers of the king, for what should be temporary use only. But because the line of kings failed so long ago, the stewards have been keeping the position their entire lives."

"So are they kings?" he asked, "I didn't really understand when Gandalf told me."

"No," said Ginny, "Because if in the event the real king should return, the steward has to give up his position."

"But the real king is coming!" said Pippin, "At least, I think he is. Aragorn is coming back to…"

"Shh!" hissed Ginny, "Not so loud, are you mad?"

"What?" asked Pippin.

"Lord Denethor _does not want to give up his position at all_! Never! So it's not a good idea to discuss something like this in public, do you understand?"

"What would he do, challenge Aragorn to a duel?"

"No, Denethor's too cowardly, but he _will_ give Aragorn a _very _hard time at it, so don't talk about it, whatever you do, understand?"

"Yes," said Pippin meekly. Ginny's talk scared him a little.

* * *

Hermione was very frustrated. She kept trying to get a chance to talk to Sam, but Gollum was always lurking nearby. She wanted to warn him that she thought Gollum was plotting against him, but it was as if the wretched creature knew what she was trying to do and was guarding her closely.

Finally Hermione decided the best thing to do would be to wait for him to fall asleep and then talk to Sam. Sam seemed to have the same idea, because she could see him trying to stay awake. Meanwhile, Gollum knew what they were both up to, and he tried to stay up as well.

It became a grueling game of trying to feign sleep and outlast each other at the same time. Hermione watched as Sam succumbed to weariness. _I've got to stay awake_, she thought, _I won't fall asleep, I won't fall asleep, I won't…_

Suddenly Hermione heard a crooning, almost hypnotic sound nearby. It made her feel weak and sleepy. _What a lovely tune_, she thought, and drifted away.

As soon as he was positive she was asleep, Gollum stopped crooning and cackled with delight. He had won! And now, to business…he pulled out the last of the elven bread with a look of disgust, and began sprinkling it on Sam's cloak…

* * *

BANG!

A bit more of the fire powder that Galadriel had given to George had now been spent, in the form of throwing it in front of Merry's path and exploding. Mushroom buckled and squealed in fright, while Merry tried desperately to steer him through the smoke. Nearby he heard George laughing.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!" he yelled, shaking his fists.

Fred laughed and slapped George high five. "Next victim?" he asked.

"Hmm," said George, "How about Legolas?"

"Good idea," said Fred with an evil smile, "What shall we do?"

"You won't be able to do anything," said Harry, who was catching up with them, "Legolas is miles ahead of everybody, I thought you knew that!" Laughing, he urged Thalion onward and rode away from them.

Fred's smile grew wider. "Legolas may've escaped us," he said, "But we appear to still have a victim."

George smiled too. "Ready when you are!" Together they raised their wands.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

"Here do I swear loyalty and service to Gondor, in peace or war, in living or dying, from henceforth, until my lord release me, or death take me." Pippin had just taken an oath swearing allegiance to Gondor, and Ginny, glancing at the long, gray-haired old Denethor, had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She caught Faramir's eyes and knew he felt the same way. Poor Pippin had no idea what he had just gotten himself into, and the steward was not helping matters. As both of them had grown immensely fond of the hobbit, they both resolved to keep him out of trouble the best they could.

Or at least, they both did until Denethor brought up a very touchy subject to them.

"I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defenses," he said, giving Faramir a sharp look.

_Gee, _thought Ginny angrily, _No 'Oh don't worry Faramir. We'll manage somehow. I'm just _SO _relieved that you're alive. It's great enough that you managed to evacuate so many people!'_

Faramir was breathing very heavily. He knew what was coming, even if she didn't. "My lord Osgiliath is overrun," he said as slowly as possible.

"Is there a captain here who still has the courage to do his lord's will?"

At this, Ginny could not keep quiet. "He does do your will!" she cried furiously, "You just don't see it!"

"Ginny…" said Faramir warningly.

Denethor glared at her. Normally any other Gondor citizen would have looked at the ground in shame. Ginny didn't. She just stared coldly back at him.

"You're less like Boromir than I thought," said Denethor furiously.

"Am I?" she said fiercely, "Or is it just that unlike him, I don't particularly feel like being your pet?"

Everyone gasped. Ginny knew immediately that she had gone too far, and for once, she actually felt sorry for what she said. She hadn't meant to go that far, it just slipped out. She wasn't sorry for Denethor at all, but she felt terrible for insulting Boromir. She liked him a lot, and knew he wasn't like that at all. But at the time, all Ginny had wanted was a stinging comment to throw back at Denethor, and that remark definitely qualified.

Denethor actually stood up. "Get out!" he thundered, "GET OUT! I never want to see your face in my hall ever again!"

"Fine, you won't!" Ginny turned and stomped out of the room, pushing open the heavy doors with as much furious strength as possible. They shut behind her with a deadening thud, hiding the tears now streaming down her face from the rest of the hall.

"Ginny?" She turned around to see Gandalf staring at her. "Why are you outside?" he asked gently, "And why are you crying?"

"Oh Gandalf," she sobbed, "I've ruined everything now, I really have. I just insulted Boromir, I didn't mean to, but now I've been banned from the hall, and w-what'll I do? They all hate me now!"

"Why did you insult Boromir?" asked Gandalf calmly.

"I-I wanted to get back at D-Denethor, he was p-pushing Faramir around again!"

"Ah yes," said Gandalf, "Denethor does love Faramir, but often he forgets it."

"Yeah," sniffed Ginny, wiping away her tears, "Try all the time!"

Gandalf laughed. "He is in love with power, and he is very distressed, because whatever happens, he sees his position ending. If we win, and Aragorn is made king, he will lose his role of steward."

"And if Sauron wins, he loses it anyway," added Ginny, "I see."

"Correct. It is similar to the fate of the Elves. Whether Orcs or Men win, they will have to leave Middle Earth forever."

"That's terrible!" cried Ginny, "Aren't elves good people?"

"Yes they are. If you are lucky, and we all survive the upcoming battle, you may get to meet one of them."

"But I guess they carry this a whole lot better than Denethor, eh?"

"Of course…"

At this point the door opened. Out walked Faramir, looking very dazed. "Oh Faramir!" cried Ginny, rushing towards him, "I'm so sorry, I never meant to dishonor your brother; I liked him, really I did!"

"It's all right Ginny," said Faramir faintly, "Thank you for sticking up for me." Closer inspection showed that his eyes were filled with tears.

"Faramir?" she asked, "What's wrong?"

He didn't answer, but instead walked away. "I wonder what happened in there?" asked Ginny worriedly.

At this point Pippin walked out. "You won't believe what just happened!" he cried.

"What is it?" Ginny asked anxiously, "Why's Faramir so upset?"

"Because Denethor just ordered him to try and retake Osgiliath!" exclaimed Pippin.

"No," said Ginny, "He can't. I was there, I saw what happened…it's suicide!"

"And then Faramir accused Denethor of wishing that he had died instead of Boromir. And do you know what Denethor said?"

"He didn't say yes!" growled Ginny.

"He did."

"I'm going back in there to have a word with him!" yelled Ginny, and she starting storming back towards the doors. Pippin grabbed her arm.

"Don't, he'll kill you!"

"Let him try!" she snarled, trying to yank free.

"Please don't!" pleaded Pippin, "I don't want you in trouble again!"

Ginny was still struggling, slowly pulling towards the door, but at these words she turned around to look into the hobbit's big, pleading, brown eyes. They seemed to bring her back to good sense. "Sorry," she said shortly, "Come on, let's get out of here before I get in trouble just for being outside."

Gandalf watched them go. He couldn't help but smile. Already Pippin was using sense in adverse to rash behavior. Gondor and Ginny definitely appeared to be doing him some good.

* * *

Out at the camp in Dunharrow, one of the captains thought he heard riders coming this way. It must be the king at last. But after a few seconds he realized that instead of slowing, the riders were picking up speed. Squinting slightly, he could see a huge cloud of dust making its way towards camp. In his eyes it meant one thing:

"STAMPEDE!"

Soldiers everywhere flew out of the way of the dust and into their tents. Actually it wasn't a stampede. It was six riders hurtling towards Dunharrow on a mission. The mission was this: make sure not to get there last so he didn't have to sing a stupid song in front of everyone.

A little pony like Mushroom simply could not keep up with the other horses. It looked like it was all over for Merry. Surprisingly Legolas was only just ahead of him. After a while the fun wore off and he didn't really care about winning. He didn't really care about what place he got in, so long as it wasn't last.

Next was Harry, who was inches away from George. At the lead were Ron and Fred. Neck and neck they were dashing towards Dunharrow.

"COME ON FILIBUSTER! DON'T MAKE ME LOSE TO A PREFECT!"

"FASTER TELIEN, SO HE CAN'T RUB ANYTHING IN MY FACE AFTERWARDS!"

Suddenly Ron gave Telien a quick, sharp kick that sent the horse practically flying across the finish line. He had won.

"I WON! I WON! I DON'T BELIEVE IT, I WON!"

"Would you look at that George?" said Fred, "Ron won!"

"Simply amazing Fred," said George. Evil grins spread across their faces, which Ron failed to notice. Merry didn't either.

"I lost," he moaned.

"That's too bad Merry," said Ron cheerfully.

"Good race though," said Legolas as he dismounted.

"Indeed it was," said Fred, "So Ron, get back on that horse and prepare to sing!"

"But…but…but I won!" stammered Ron.

"He did beat you fair and square," said Legolas.

"Correct Legolas," said George, "_He beat us._ And in our most humble opinion, anyone who dares to beat us twins in a race is a loser in our eyes!"

"_What!_" gasped Ron. He had gotten quite pale.

"I have to say, you guys are good," said Harry with a grin.

"Thank you, o esteemed financial backer," said Fred with a bow.

"What do you mean, financial backer…" Ron started to say, but George interrupted.

"Enough! Ron, get on the horse!"

"But this isn't fair!" protested Ron.

"Tough," said George, "Get on."

"But…"

"_On_!"

"But…"

"Now!"

"But…"

"What's the song he's going to sing?" asked Merry eagerly as the twins placed a violently struggling Ron on the back of Telien.

"Stay there or we'll put a Permanent Sticking Charm on you," said Fred warningly, "And to answer your question Merry, Ron shall be singing a very special song today! It's called…" Then he changed his mind. "On second thought, we'll tell Ron privately. That way we can teach him the lyrics. You'll all hear it in good time anyway." And together they both seized Ron and dragged him away.

"Noooooo! Harry! Legolas! Saaaaaaaave me!"

Both shook their heads. "You have to feel sorry for him," said Harry.

"But what can we do about it?" asked Legolas, shrugging his shoulders.

Harry thought for a moment. "I've got it!" he declared.

A few minutes later, a very morose looking Ron emerged from the tent. Slowly, as though headed for his execution, he mounted Telien. Then he started to ride around the camp.

"_Oh no you don't_!" cried George, "Get back here!" Together, the twins Apparated in front of the horse and got a firm grip on the reins.

"Now come back and start over," said Fred, "And this time, actually sing the song you're assigned!"

"I _was_ singing!" protested Ron.

"Oh yeah sure," scoffed Fred.

"Mumbling, more like," said George in mock disgust.

"Now sing, before we hit you with a Sonorus Charm!" threatened Fred.

Ron groaned, and began to sing.

"Louder," said George.

"Don't worry," said Fred, "Just get it over with! If you ride fast enough, most of the soldiers won't even understand what you're doing!"

"Fine," said Ron. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and rode off singing: "I love you, you love me, we're a happy family! With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won't you say you love me too?"

The rest of the gang had fallen to the ground, howling with laughter. "That…was…the…greatest…ever…" gasped Merry.

Harry and Legolas winked at each other. "I didn't really get what he was singing though," said Legolas to the twins.

"_You didn't_!" cried Fred in amazement, "But…you're an elf…with those super ears…"

"Well, sing it again and maybe I'll understand it better."

"Sure thing," said George, "We'll do it together though, in low voices so only Ron gets it badfrom the soldiers."

Neither one of them heard Harry mutter, "_Sonorus_!" under his breath. As a result…

"I LOVE YOU! YOU LOVE ME! WE'RE A HAPPY…HEY! HARRY, LEGOLAS! GET BACK HERE! TAKE IT OFF YOU LITTLE…" Here a string of curses issued from their mouths.

Harry and Legolas didn't care. They were too busy laughing over the success of a prank, and trying to get away from Fred and George.

A/N: I'd like to thank you all for your submissions! I chose the Barney song because I found that one to be the best, but I was glad to see everybody submitting something!

I'm only responding to some reviewers this time, because some of you just chose to send me your song suggestion, and there's nothing wrong with that, it's just that I basically already replied to you up there. I love you all though! Thanks for reviewing!

**Mischievous Puck:** No, Gandalf isn't Dumbledore. I've read fanfics where they do that, but I don't. I am so glad to hear I fixed Hermione! And I know what you mean about getting lost in a story, sometimes I really forget where I am and people will call me and I just don't hear them. My mind is in another realm. Happy reading!

**LillyFan78: **Yeah, I love it when they put girls into battle along with the men! I update as fast as possible, which is getting to be more faster!

**Brownie/Melody: **Ginny will be kicking some MAJOR orc butt, as I like to put it! And Hermione is slowly turning into less of a Gollum-sympathizer! OMG, I know what you mean about siblings, but for me there lies a different problem: the only place I can connect this thing to the Internet is in… (gasp of horror) my brother's room! All I can say is, I could kiss the one who invented American football. That means lots of practices. That means more Internet via laptop for me! HA! Lol

**Black Tearz: **Welcome aboard! Thanks for reviewing!

**Prongs-gurl202113: **1. My original layout was going to have 37 chapters including an Epilogue, but that'll probably change, mostly because I lost my layout. It didn't survive the virus we had to eradicate from our computer. (A moment of silence for the layout) LOL 2. You'll see!

**Morgana24: **Another Draco fan eh? A few of my friends are Draco fans. I just stare at them and blink stupidly. But don't worry, I don't like perfect characters either. Ginny has her faults; I've noticed lately in the books that she can be a bit bolder than she should be (Hence this chapter.).

**Catwraith: **Cool, you take French? Me too! Ginny rules!

**Angeles: **Here you go! Next chapter coming right up!


	31. Alone in the Darkness

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 31: Alone in the Darkness

Harry and Legolas were almost out of breath when they rounded a corner and spotted refuge in the form of Eomer and Gimli. They had been staring at the gloomy, chilling mountainside when they were interrupted by a strange sight: Ron riding along singing, "I love you, you love me, we're best friends as friends can be…", and then saw their friends fleeing the wrath of Fred and George Weasley.

"We…didn't…do it," panted Harry.

"YES YOU DID! PUT US RIGHT!" screamed Fred.

"Why don't you just do that to yourselves?" asked Eomer, "You are wizards, are you not?"

It was all too true, so the twins pointed their wands at each other's throats and said, "_Quietus_!"

"I'm gonna have a sore throat something awful," groaned George.

"Now he thinks of that," chuckled Gimli.

"Blimey, what's wrong with the horses?" asked Fred. Some of the men were having to forcibly restrain their normally gentle horses, which were going berserk when they got too close to the mountain.

"They grow nervous under the shadow of the mountain," replied Eomer.

"Hey kids, it's Captain Obvious to the rescue!" whispered Fred. The others doubled over as Eomer glared at him.

"You wanted to know," he said coldly.

"He's only joking mate," said George, "So why are the horses scared of the mountain? Is it _cursed_?"

"Those are the rumors," replied Eomer, "I wouldn't know. None who venture there ever return."

"Maybe there are giants?" suggested Harry, "There are lots of giants hiding in the mountains in our world."

"You mean trolls?" asked Legolas, "I don't believe so. The legend is that it is the home of the living dead."

"Cooool," said Fred. He and George started to casually edge in the direction of the mountain.

"Don't even think about it," said Harry from behind them. They jumped.

"What? We weren't going to do anything!" protested Fred.

"This is exactly what happened with the time portal remember? You just ran right in and we all ran in after you! And now look what's happened to us! Thanks to you, we're all lost in Middle Earth!"

"I think the word _lost_ may be a bit too strong…"

"Besides, we thought you liked Middle Earth!"

"I do!"

"You have a weird way of showing it then," said Fred.

"Enough of this nonsense!" said Gimli grumpily, "Let's go get some food."

"I'm all for that!" said George cheerfully, and they walked away, all except Harry. He could see Aragorn staring as though transfixed at the mountain.

"What can you see in there?" he asked.

Aragorn jumped. "Oh, it's only you Harry."

"Who else would it be? What were you looking at?"

Aragorn blinked and stared back at the mountain. "Nothing," he said finally, "Nothing Harry."

* * *

Hermione woke up to (once again) more yelling. "What's wrong _this_ time?" she grumbled. It felt like she'd only been asleep for minutes. Little did she know.

"The last of the food's gone!" cried Sam, "All of the elven bread! Just gone!"

"Are you _sure_ Sam?" asked Hermione wearily.

"Of course I'm sure…look at the pack, it's completely empty!"

"What I meant was, are you _sure_ that we had some more left before we went to sleep?"

"Yes," said Sam stoutly, "I checked and re-checked!"

"Well it didn't just get up and walk away! And I certainly didn't eat it! And you couldn't have Sam, because you're obviously in shock over this whole thing!"

"Sméagol hates nasty elf bread," volunteered Gollum.

"That's true," said Hermione, "You choked on it in the Dead Marshes. I guess that just leaves Frodo then."

"What?" asked Frodo, and Hermione was startled to find that he sounded a bit angry, "I wouldn't eat it all Hermione!"

"I'm not throwing all the blame on you Frodo," she said impatiently, "But _somebody_ must've eaten it, because it's not here anymore! _Was _it you Sam?"

"No…" Sam started to say, but Gollum's "evidence" said otherwise.

"Look," he said, pulling at Sam's cloak, "What's this?" He brushed off several crumbs: _lembas_ bread crumbs. Sam stared at them in utter shock. "Crumbs on his jacketses! He took it!" cried Gollum in triumph.

_That didn't take too long to find…_thought Hermione suspiciously. But if Gollum hadn't eaten it, what _had_ he done with it?

"I've seen him, he's always stuffing his face when Master's not looking," reported Gollum.

That was such a stupid lie that Hermione was all the more enraged when she saw the look on Frodo's face, like he might actually be buying it!

"That's outrageous!" she cried furiously, "Frodo, you know Sam would _never_ do that!"

Gollum rounded on Hermione. "Lies, lies!" he shrieked, "Youse been helping the fat hobbit, haven't you, miss?"

"That's ridiculous!" cried Hermione, but Sam had heard enough. He tackled Gollum to the ground and began to punch his lights out.

"Sam, no!" both Frodo and Hermione yelled in unison, and they pulled him off. Angry though she was with Gollum, she knew attacking him would not make a good impression on Frodo.

"Sam, relax," said Hermione gently.

"I know, I'm sorry," he cried. She hugged him. Then he turned to Frodo, who was starting to look a bit sick, and she decided to leave them alone to talk things out.

This turned out to be a very bad idea.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Pippin asked Ginny. She was striding along purposefully to who knew where.

"To the armory," she replied shortly.

"The armory! But does that mean…"

"I've decided to stay with Faramir, yes."

"But that's suicide!"

"Then at least people can say I did something noble and heroic for once!"

"But people do think you're noble and heroic…" Pippin was interrupted as Ginny flung open the doors and found herself face-to-face with: Gandalf.

"Gandalf!" gasped Ginny, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm afraid I was sent here by Faramir," said Gandalf.

"Oh no…"

"And his message to me was this: whatever you do Mithrandir, _don't _let Ginny go into battle. Not this time. I won't have her die in this particular battle."

"What if I don't care?" asked Ginny, trying to brush past him in vain.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Ginny, but there are people, myself included, who _do_ care. What would your brothers say if I had only your body to give them?"

"But I can do this! I can fight!" protested Ginny.

"Not this time," he said so firmly that Ginny actually did lower her head. "What if I told you," he asked gently, "that you would see more battles than this?"

"Will I?" she asked hopefully.

"The war will soon be upon Minas Tirith," was all he would say.

"But…" she said, "Even so…I do love Faramir…as an older brother…and, well…"

"If you do, then honor his feelings and do not ride out to death with him."

Ginny nodded. She knew he was right, but it broke her heart all the same.

* * *

Hermione felt that she had barely turned her back when she heard Frodo's yells. She turned in time to see him backing away from a startled Sam, clutching the Ring. "I don't want to keep it!" Sam was trying to say, but Frodo would hear none of it.

Gollum crawled up triumphantly. "See? See? He wants it for himself!" he told Frodo.

"No he doesn't!" cried Hermione, "Can't you see he only wants to help you Frodo?"

"No Hermione," he said, very slowly, "Gollum was right. It was Sam all along."

"How can you say that?" gasped Hermione, "That's not true, you know it's not true Frodo…"

But Frodo wasn't listening. He was busy telling Sam to leave. Poor Sam couldn't take it anymore. He burst into tears.

Hermione's heart was torn in two. Part of her was loyal to Frodo, she had promised to help him at the Council of Elrond, after all. The other part of her was heart-broken to see Sam, faithful Sam, cruelly left alone.

Frodo turned to Hermione. "Are you still with me?" he asked.

_This is so wrong!_ she thought.

"Are you?" asked Frodo.

"I…don't know," she said faintly.

"She's betrayed us too, yes she has Master," said Gollum.

"No," said Hermione, now starting to cry herself, "H-He's lying, you know he is…"

In response, Frodo clutched the Ring tighter and left with Gollum. "If you change your mind and decide to fulfill your old promise, let me know Hermione," he said, and they were gone, leaving Hermione to hug a sobbing Sam close to her as possible.

* * *

Pippin had been called back into the Hall to serve Denethor. Ginny was now alone, staring out at Osgiliath on the stretch beyond the White Tree. Words failed her, and so did thoughts. She was in a shock, standing, waiting, watching, for the inevitable. She heard the gates creaking open and saw the soldiers riding out to their doom without truly registering it. She recognized Faramir in the lead, and she thought she might've seen some black shapes waiting to meet them, but she only had human eyes, so it was impossible to tell.

Just as things began to get too unbearable, Ginny thought she heard music. It was soft at first, and she couldn't really catch it. But it seemed to come towards her, carried out of the open palace doors through the wind.

It was a boy singing. Or at least that's what she thought at first, until she recognized the voice to be Pippin's. He was singing a strange, sad tune that seemed to fit the scene perfectly. And yet it was strangely comforting. She strained to catch the words…

_Home is behind_

_The world ahead_

_And there are many paths to tread_

_Through shadow_

_To the edge of night_

_Until the stars are all aligned_

_Mist and shadow_

_Cloud and shade_

_All shall fade_

_All shall fade._

At that moment there was noise from below. Ginny looked down to see arrows flying into all the men.

All the men…including Faramir…they had been her friends…ordinary men who had families…and they had all looked after her for the longest time…they didn't deserve this sort of fate…

Ginny burst into tears. She lay against the wall, crying, with no one there to comfort her or tell her she should stop. For the first time in her life there wasn't anyone there. And that was what made her feel so alone for the first time as well.

* * *

BANG!

"Ha!" yelled Fred, "_Finally _I'm winning Exploding Snap! Your turn Merry."

Merry didn't move. He wasn't even looking at his cards.

"What's up?" asked George.

"This game just isn't the same without Pippin," he replied sadly.

"So _that's _why it felt so different!" joked Fred. When nobody laughed, he sighed and said, "Look mate, we miss him too, but we might as well have some fun here!"

"Yeah," sighed Merry. Then he brightened up. "Maybe we'll see him when we get to Gondor! Did you see the armor Eowyn gave me? And the sword? I got it sharpened you know…"

* * *

Harry and Ron were walking through the camp, savoring the moment before they had to enter battle again tomorrow. Neither was really looking forward to it, unlike Fred, George, and Merry, but this sort of thing was becoming unavoidable. Right now Ron was enjoying hearing how Harry and Legolas avenged him with the Sonorus Charm. "Serves them right," he cackled, "After what they did…" Nothing too horrific had come out of the experience, with the exception of King Théoden, Gamling, Eomer, and several other soldiers asking him what he meant when he sang that he loved them.

They rounded a corner and were surprised to see Eowyn walking alone, crying. "What's up?" he asked. She just shook her head and walked away from them. "Girls are so _weird_!" he said, "I wish Hermione was hear so she could translate for us!"

"Or Ginny," Harry found himself saying.

"Or Ginny," nodded Ron, "Or _any_ girl we know for that matter. Except that Luna girl. She'd probably say Eowyn got attacked by the Blibbery-whatchamacallit!"

"Blibbering Humdinger?" asked Harry, laughing.

"Yeah that's it!" said Ron, and they both cracked up. "Where does she get that stuff from?"

"I dunno mate, hey, where are you guys going?" Harry and Ron were standing directly in front of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, all armed and leading their horses.

"I have to go into the mountain," said Aragorn, "It has to do with the outcome of the battle. And you're not coming, so don't even ask."

"How come they get to go?" asked Ron furiously.

"I couldn't shake them off," replied Aragorn, glaring at his friends, but Harry knew he was glad they were going.

"Good for them," said Ron, and he whistled for Telien.

"_No_," Aragorn started to say as Telien came trotting forward. (Ron always forgot to tie him up at night, it was a wonder the horse stayed with him this long!)

"Harry, if you want to come, go get Thalion. We'll wait right here," said Ron as he mounted.

Harry was off in a flash.

"See what you've done?" groaned Aragorn.

"What?" said Legolas innocently, "I never asked them to come!"

"You set an example!" said Aragorn.

Legolas just laughed at him. A few minutes later, Harry was back, ready to go. And so they set off.

* * *

Hermione had stopped crying because she knew Sam's need was greater than hers. She sat there, comforting him, when he suddenly wiped his tears away and got up.

"Listen," he said firmly, "You heard what he said. I want you to go back with Frodo."

"No!" cried Hermione.

"Yes, do it. Because if Gollum tries something up there in that tunnel, I want somebody there who can protect him. Just pretend you believe them, and they'll let you back in."

"But…what about you?"

"I suppose I'll start for home," said Sam, gritting his teeth at the thought, "If you need me, call me on the brooch that Lady Galadriel gave you."

"That's right!" cried Hermione, "I'd forgotten about that! How do you suppose it works?"

"I dunno, I'm no elf, but if I hear you, I'll come all right?"

"Thank you Sam," she said, hugging him tightly, "Look after yourself, in case…" She didn't need to finish. It was bitter to part with him, but he spoke sense. Somebody needed to look after Frodo. Frodo certainly couldn't do that himself. So they went their separate ways.

**To my reviewers:**

**HotShot14: **LOL, what did you think?

**LillyFan78: **Sam's situation is worsening. (sigh) Well, he'll be ok, eventually.

**Mischievous Puck: **I am evil, aren't I? (grins) Well it wasn't _totally_ my idea…but I did choose it! Poor Ron. Such is his life.

**Angeles: **No more candy for you! LOL Yay, I'm a Marauder!

**Brownie/Melody: **It's not that bad really, just enough to get annoying at times. Anyway, one time I had a dream that Faramir died in that suicide attack and I woke up all sad, and then I had to hit myself over the head and yell, "You moron! He survived!" hehe

**Brandy Lebeau: **Sorry, but I think it's less than 10. But do not fear! One day I was having writer's block with this story and thought, whatever, I can just start the sequel, that way there isn't this long gap between both stories like some people do!

**Prongs-gurl202113: **More like 38. Or maybe 40. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Kaladelia Undomiel: **KALLE! You're back! I wondered where you went! I can't really remember, but I think it was you who said I should incorporate Arwen into the story somehow, and this was the only thing I could think of! Two people actually sent in the Barney song, that was one of the factors that won me over to that song. Hmm, I'll see if I can find Sabriel, but it might have to go on the waiting list, I've still got a bit more summer reading, Eldest from the Inheritance trilogy, and possibly the Sword of Truth novels. In return though, I suggest you read Pendragon if you haven't already. I'm trying to spread the word about this excellent series!

**Fanfictionguy: **Welcome to the Wonderful World of Crossover Fanfiction! I'm glad you chose my story first, and most importantly, that you liked it!

**Darknesscomes: **Vacation's a reasonable excuse. Thanks for reviewing!

**Tom Riddle Charlie: **Two reviewers actually suggested the Barney song! I know the feeling of having too many stories to read, believe me, I understand! I'm glad you like Ginny!


	32. The Spirits and the Siege

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. I also kind of stole a line off of National Treasure, see if you can spot it! It's not a major line from the movie, so it may be hard to find. Good luck!

Chapter 32: The Spirits and the Siege

Pippin left the Hall as soon as he was dismissed and quickly went to find Ginny. It didn't take long. She was lying against the stone wall with her eyes closed. Crying had made her very tired.

"Ginny?" he called softly.

Ginny stirred. "Oh, hello Pippin." She sat for a moment, trying to recollect her thoughts. Then, "You sing very well."

Pippin blushed, "Thank you. I didn't want to, but Denethor told me to."

"Told you he'd make you do all sorts of stuff you'd rather not do! He's raving!"

"I don't know about _raving_…"

"Well, maybe not. Mad with grief more like. I do feel sorry for him sometimes." She looked at Pippin's disbelieving face. "I do really. I just get annoyed with him a bit more often."

"That was pretty obvious from the start," said Pippin, and they both laughed.

* * *

Fred and George were busy playing Round 7 of Exploding Snap with Merry when they heard a commotion outside. They immediately went to see what was going on.

"It's Lord Aragorn," said Gamling, "He, Legolas, Gimli, and the boys Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, have left."

"What? Where? Why?" asked Fred.

"We don't know," he replied glumly, "Well, we think King Théoden knows, but he won't say a word." He shook his head. "This is terrible. Why they all had to leave on the eve of battle…"

"You've still got us!" said George, "And we can do magic! Besides, Harry and Ron know what they're doing; they wouldn't leave us all unless it was absolutely necessary! We can trust them!"

Gamling sighed wearily. "I hope you are right, for all our sakes," he said, "It doesn't look good, but I trust the King. We are going to Minas Tirith anyway."

The next morning the camp was bustling around, saddling horses, sharpening swords, checking provisions, and getting ready to go. Fred, George, and Merry were busy trying to get their armor on.

"Cool," said Fred, "We get to wear _helmets_!"

"I can't believe they found armor that fit me," said Merry gleefully.

"This going to be great!" cried George, "We're going to be going into battle, and then when it's over we'll get to see Pippin! I wonder what he's doing?"

"He's probably anxious, with the city being besieged and everything," said Merry.

"Right," said Fred. Suddenly he looked a bit pale. "Guys," he said, "What if we don't win?"

"Then let's make sure to take as many orcs down with us as possible!" cried George.

This was certainly heartening to the other two, and they all let out war-cries as they ran out of the tent.

* * *

"So," said Ron casually, "Where are we going?"

"And why are we going?" asked Harry, "I thought this place was dangerous."

"Lord Elrond came to me last night," said Aragorn.

"What? When?" asked Harry, "How come I didn't get to see him?"

"He wanted to deliver some news to me from Rivendell, and this sword," Aragorn gestured to a fine, long sword sticking out of its sheath on the side of the horse Brego.

"Cool," said Ron, "Why'd he give it to you?"

"Because it's mine," replied Aragorn, "It's the ancient sword of Elendil: Anduril, Flame of the West."

"So you inherited it?" asked Harry curiously.

"Yes."

"So…why are we walking through here?" asked Ron.

"Elrond told me that Sauron is secretly sending an army of Corsair ships by the river, to help in the attack on Minas Tirith."

"So we're outnumbered?" asked Harry slowly.

"Very much so," said Aragorn.

"So…why…are we going…in this…direction?" asked Ron.

"To summon a deadly army to help us."

"Uh, just how deadly are these guys?" asked Ron anxiously.

"They are cursed men," said Legolas. He told them about how they had sworn to come to the aid of Isildur when he needed them, but they were cowardly, and fled when Isildur called. So the king cursed them to a living death until they fulfilled their oath.

"Wait a minute," said Ron, "Are we asking a bunch of cowardly angry _dead guys _to help us!"

"I said not to come," said Aragorn.

"Come on Ron, don't leave, they're probably just like the ghosts at Hogwarts!" said Harry.

"Leave?_ Leave? _Who said anything about leaving?" asked Ron angrily.

"I only thought, when you said…"

"You thought wrong! Where would you get the idea that I'd leave you guys now just because I've learned what I'm up against?"

"What does it matter?" asked Gimli gruffly, "We're all here, and we're not going anywhere except forward. So stop quarreling both of you!"

Ron muttered, "Look who's talking!" but he still shut his mouth until they got to the mouth of what looked like a cave.

Everything felt chilly almost immediately. Harry felt horribly similar to the way he felt when he got close to dementors. Ron gulped. "Uh…uh…uh…do we have to do this?"

Harry looked up at the archway and saw runes of some sort carved at the top. Legolas read them aloud, "The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut."

"Well," said Ron, "They obviously don't want company, so let's just…"

A howl came out of the cave. The horses fled in terror. Harry thought he saw mist swirling around in the darkness.

Aragorn gritted his teeth. "I do not fear death," he said firmly.

"That's nice," said Ron, "I do."

Aragorn didn't answer, but plunged in. Legolas hesitated for about a millisecond, and then went in after him. Gimli groaned something about never hearing the end of it if he didn't go, and ran in. Harry and Ron were alone.

"After you," said Ron with a nervous grin.

"Ok," said Harry, stepping forward, "But if you decide to leave, go right ahead. Fred and George will want to hear all about it!" And he was gone.

Ron grew paler. There was nothing else for it. He ran in.

* * *

Frodo and Gollum were almost at the tunnel, when they heard something behind them. It was Hermione.

"What do you want?" asked Frodo.

"I'm sorry Frodo," she said carefully, putting on her best act, "I was wrong about Sam. You were right."

"So you're coming?" asked Frodo, somewhat hopefully.

"Yes," she replied.

Gollum hid a snarl. This made a hitch in his plans. But no matter. _She_ would be able to take care of Hermione, magic or no magic.

* * *

The day was growing late in Gondor. Ginny and Pippin watched with apprehension as orcs, trolls, wargs, and all sorts of creatures began marching towards Minas Tirith.

Suddenly Ginny saw a speck headed towards the doors. Cries went up. The gates opened. "What is it?" asked Pippin anxiously.

"I don't know," replied Ginny, "Let's wait and see."

Several minutes later men came hurrying in carrying a stretcher. On it lay…

"_Faramir_!" groaned Ginny.

Denethor, along with the rest of the Gondor lords, came rushing out. His face was pale, and he knelt by his son's body. Ginny and Pippin rushed over too. The little hobbit immediately began to examine his face closely.

"Oh don't!" cried Ginny, overcome with sadness, "I can't bear it!"

Pippin looked startled. "He's alive!" he gasped.

"What?" cried Ginny. Nobody else paid them any mind, shaking their heads sadly.

"He must be hanging on by a thread," said Pippin, looking closer.

"Let me check," said Ginny, rolling up her sleeves. She pressed her thumb on Faramir's wrist and waited. Then she looked up and said, "There's a pulse! It's very faint, but it's there! I don't believe it! If only Madam Pomfrey were here! She could put him right!"

Pippin neither knew nor cared who Madam Pomfrey was. It was vital that Denethor understand and get Faramir to the best healers as soon as possible. But Denethor wasn't listening. He had stumbled away from everyone else, moaning that his line had ended. Then he looked out over the wall.

A massive army was already almost upon them. A wave of shock hit Denethor, quickly replaced by despair. They were alone. Rohan wouldn't come to help. In his mind, they were all doomed.

Fear seized Denethor. "Abandon your posts!" he yelled. Ginny and Pippin stared at him in disbelief. It looked like he'd finally cracked. "Fear, fear for your lives!"

People screamed and ran around in panic. The orcs, enjoying their terror, started firing, using the heads of Faramir's troops as ammunition, in adverse to stones. Turning away from the grisly sight, Ginny saw Gandalf approaching Denethor from behind, his staff raised. She knew what he was going to do. "_Stupefy!_" she yelled. A jet of red light hit Denethor and he collapsed. Gandalf turned around, slightly shocked.

Ginny smiled. "I just saved you time and energy."

Gandalf nodded in acknowledgment, then shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

Everyone bustled around, now under Gandalf's command. "Come on Pippin," yelled Ginny, "You heard him! To the armory!"

"But…Faramir…"

"Take him to the healers _immediately_," she ordered the nearest lord.

He smiled sadly, "My lady, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do…"

"Do it anyway!" she said fiercely, "Now come on Pippin!" They set off, Pippin barely managing to keep up.

* * *

The inside of the mountain was creepier than the outside, in Harry's opinion. A green glow that reminded him of the Chamber of Secrets was everywhere. He even felt the same way as he did then, scared, and with a feeling that he was being hunted.

Legolas was feeling a bit on edge too. He alone could see the shadows of the dead following them. Neither Ron nor Gimli could see this, but they both were petrified anyway. Harry and Aragorn simply put on brave faces, although they were feeling creeped out, and went deeper in together.

"Uh," said Ron, "Are we going through that?"

They were standing in front of what Harry thought looked like a river of mist, winding along out of sight. "Yes," replied Aragorn firmly, and went on.

As soon as they set foot in, the mist swirled around their bodies, almost as if it were trying to grab them. Suddenly a ghostly hand came up right in Ron's face. He let out a wild yell and tried to back away and run at the same time. The result was he ended up toppling right into Harry. The hand disappeared.

"You handled that well," snorted Harry. Ron looked highly embarrassed, and walked farther away from him.

* * *

Merry had a problem. King Théoden didn't want to see him in the battle, and he had no way of getting there, as none of the riders would take him on the hard, three day ride that Mushroom wouldn't be able to handle.

The problem was quickly remedied when the twins returned from saddling Filibuster and Zonko.

"Ah well," said Fred, when Merry told him, "Don't worry. You can be our stowaway. We'll take turns sharing the horse with you."

"Thanks guys!" said Merry, his whole face brightening at the prospect of going into battle after all. None of them noticed the young soldier with long blonde hair watching them closely.

* * *

The siege at Minas Tirith was going on in full earnest. Among the Gondorians were Ginny and Pippin, fully armed and ready for battle, sort of. Ginny was ready; Pippin certainly wasn't. "It'll be ok," Ginny assured him, "I'll walk you through it."

The orcs were using catapults to fire boulders at the walls, which Gondor was doing right back. Unfortunately, Ginny could see the orcs were doing much more damage, and it was easy to see why.

"Stop!" she yelled at a few men by one of the catapults, "Don't aim it at the orcs! Aim for the towers that the trolls are pushing! You'll do more that way!"

Stunned at receiving orders from a woman, they almost didn't obey. But Pippin yelled at them, "Do as she says! It's the only way!" After a few seconds thought, they obeyed.

CRASH! Orcs everywhere shrieked in dismay as the rock hit its target. Grinning at the effect it had, the soldiers decided they needed more rocks.

Meanwhile the Nazgul were everywhere on their winged beasts, flying around, picking up men, and hurtling them to the ground below. Ginny looked up at them and glared. When one got a bit too close, she whipped out her wand and yelled, "_STUPEFY!_" The winged beast fell to the ground, the Ringwraith on its back shrieking in anger. "Serves you right," she smirked.

"Ginny! Look out!" yelled Pippin.

Ginny dove out of the way before another winged steed could catch her in its claws.

* * *

The five friends entered a deserted hall, still with the greenish glow. Crumbling ruins of some sort of building were carved into the mountain. Then a voice whispered, "Who enters my domain?"

Harry jumped about a foot in the air. A green ghost of a skeleton appeared in front of them. He had a crown, and hollowed-out eyes. Harry realized that he was the King of the Dead.

"One who will have your allegiance," said Aragorn. Already, Harry noticed a change in him. He was more serious, fierce, and…kingly. It made sense to think he was the long-lost king of Gondor.

He was pondering this when he heard an evil laugh coming from the dead king. Suddenly dead soldiers appeared everywhere, surrounding them and blocking off all the exits. They were trapped. Now the King of the Dead was repeating the message Legolas had read earlier at the entrance, adding one thing only, "Now you must die."

Legolas tried shooting him with an arrow. It didn't work; it went right through him. Shaking, Ron turned to Harry. "Any bright ideas from the Boy Who Lived?"

"Don't call me that," snapped Harry, "Let Aragorn do it."

Aragorn certainly did do it. While all this had been happening, the King of the Dead raised his sword to kill their ranger friend, but Aragorn parried it easily with Anduril.

"Wow," said Ron, "That was unexpected."

Apparently the King of the Dead thought so too. "The line was broken," he hissed angrily. Harry knew he was talking about the ancient kings of Gondor.

Aragorn grabbed him by the throat. "It has been remade," he replied.

This shut the rest of the dead soldiers up. They all stared at Aragorn as though they'd never seen anything quite like him before. (Which they probably hadn't.)

"I am Isildur's heir," said Aragorn firmly, "Fight for us, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you?"

They didn't answer.

"Please?" asked Ron hopefully.

The King laughed. So did the rest of them. Then they all faded away. "Stop! Come back!" Harry found himself yelling. But they were gone.

"Stand you traitors!" yelled Gimli.

"Where'd they all go?" wondered Ron. He looked more nervous now then ever before. The enemy was invisible again.

* * *

Despite the soldiers' best efforts, some of the makeshift towers made it to the wall. Orcs climbed out and immediately killed everything in their path. Lead by Gandalf, the men fought valiantly. Then Gandalf turned around and saw Ginny leading Pippin into the brawl. "Peregrin Took!" he yelled, "Ginevra Weasley! Go back to the Citadel!"

"Hey," said Ginny slowly, "How'd you know my real name?"

Gandalf killed a couple more orcs that came too close. "This is no place for a young lady or a hobbit!" he gasped.

Ginny glared. "You said I could be in more battles!"

"Not now…"

Just then Pippin stuck out his sword and killed an orc that had been about to strike Gandalf down. All three stared at it in amazement. "Ha!" said Ginny, "Not bad for a hobbit eh?" Without even waiting for an answer, she ran forward and started killing as many orcs as she could, swinging her sword right and left.

Pippin watched all this, looking sicker all the time. Gandalf saw this. "Get back up to the Citadel," he said.

"But…I'm supposed to…"

"You have my permission," said Gandalf kindly. Pippin nodded and fled. He didn't think battles were really for him.

* * *

Harry blinked and looked around. The dead army was really gone. Suddenly he felt the earth rumbling. He looked up. "No way…" he whispered.

The walls were collapsing. Inside them were thousands upon thousands of skulls. It was an avalanche.

"GET OUT!" yelled Aragorn. They didn't need telling twice. How they all managed to wade through the skulls and didn't tumble to their deaths, Harry never knew. Within seconds they had run through a small passage out into open air. Ron swore 'til his dying day that he did _not_ kiss the ground when he got out, no matter _what_ wild stories Harry told.

It was a relief to be out of the mountain, but the relief was short-lived. They were near the banks of Anduin. And sailing along were the fleet of Corsair ships. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that Gondor was doomed.

Everyone was upset, but nobody came close to being compared with Aragorn. He felt that he had failed in his most important mission. Harry could think of nothing to do but clench his shoulder, but that seemed to do the man some good.

"If only there was some way we could ambush and sink the ships," said Ron.

"It's impossible," said Gimli.

Then Harry heard a whispering behind him. He turned, and was shocked to see the King of the Dead come out of the mountain. "We fight," he said simply.

"Took you long enough," muttered Ron, so that the ghost didn't hear.

**To my reviewers:**

**Goddess Bless: **I was actually thinking that if I did pair Legolas, it would be to someone else. I'm too big of a Ron/Hermione shipper. Then I wasn't going to do any romance at all, but now people seem to like the idea, so I'll do my pairing in the next one. Anyway, I wouldn't be able to pair Legolas/Hermione, they're separated right now; I'd have to have established it before they all split.

**Brownie/Melody: **Wow, I always thought the stuff I wrote, despite my best efforts, was a bit sappy. I really appreciate your comments. Hermione, Frodo, and Gollum…very interesting indeed. Unfortunately I'm dragging their story out a bit.

**Tubbles14: **Of course! I love the brooch! It calls whoever can best serve the person in their time of need, and it only works among people who live or have been in Middle Earth, because of its origins among the elves.

**LillyFan78: **I'm sorry if I made you cry! ;) That is a very sad part. It makes me love Faramir all the more! Thanks for your review!

**HotShot14: **OMG! WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE SUGGEST THE TELETUBBIES? I FORGOT THE TELETUBBIES! Wait, I think someone did…whoops, my bad! I got a lot of applicants, it was hard to keep up with! That's my lame excuse!


	33. Fighting Spiders, Corsairs, and Nazgul

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 33: Fighting Spiders, Corsairs, and Nazgul

Hermione and Frodo stepped cautiously into the tunnel that Gollum was leading them into. Already she noticed that Frodo appeared to be having second thoughts about this decision.

It was a very creepy tunnel. Everything was dark, there was a horrible smell, which Gollum said came from orcs, and the floor and walls appeared to be covered in something sticky. It all made Hermione very suspicious, because it was clearly not your average tunnel.

"_Lumos!_" she whispered. The tunnel filled with light from her wand, revealing that the stickiness from the wall came from some sort of white lining. Frodo noticed something a bit more alarming.

"Sméagol?" he called. No answer.

"Sméagol, where are you?" called Hermione, not really expecting an answer. She didn't get one. Gollum was gone.

"Where did he go?" asked Frodo anxiously.

"Gave us the slip most likely," said Hermione grimly, "We'd better get out of here."

"But how else are we going to get to Mordor?"

"For all we know, he lied and this is a dead end. For now, I just want to leave and find Sam."

Guilt washed over Frodo as he realized what he'd done. "I'm so sorry Sam," he whispered.

"You can tell him that yourself," said Hermione, "I'm going to call him now." She reached for her brooch.

"Hermione?

"What Frodo?"

"How are we going to get out?"

Hermione whirled around. Everywhere she looked, there was another passage. She couldn't tell which one was the one they'd come through. The entire place was a maze. "Oh dear," she said, "Let's try this one."

She walked forward and immediately screamed. There was some sort of skeleton hanging upside down from the ceiling, wrapped in the sticky substance.

She now realized what it was. It was a web. This was the home of a giant spider. And if they didn't get out soon, they would be next on the dinner menu.

* * *

The day wore on into night, and the orcs showed no sign of relenting. They had now brought out a huge battering ram they called "Grond" to bash open the gates. Ginny stood with the soldiers on the other side, waiting. 

"You are soldiers of Gondor," said Gandalf, "no matter what comes through that door you will stand your ground."

Ginny just stared straight ahead. Whatever happened, she would _not_ be the first to run.

Orcs came charging through, but that was not the worst of it. Gigantic trolls with swinging clubs came, easily knocking the soldiers away.

Ginny gritted her teeth and charged, nimbly dodging the blows of the clubs and weaving in and out among their legs, slashing at them with her sword. She wasn't stupid; she knew that was the best she could do.

* * *

Sam stumbled along down the stairs. It hurt him to part from Hermione, and even more so because he had to go home, but he felt that there was nothing else that could be done about the matter. 

Then he heard a voice calling, "Sam! Sam! I need you right now!"

He whirled around, but no one was there. The sudden change of movement caused him to slip, and he went rolling down the stairs until he stopped at one of the landings. Lying nearby was the last of the elven bread.

Sam stared at it. Then everything fell into place. Gollum couldn't eat the bread, so he simply tossed it off the mountain. It was very clever on his part. Sam found himself curling his fists in anger.

Then the persistent voice returned. This time, Sam realized it was coming from somewhere in his head, telepathically. "Sam! Sam! We need help! We're trapped in this tunnel and there's a giant spider in here!"

Only then did Sam realize what was going on. The voice was Hermione's. She was summoning him through the brooch. Without a second's hesitation, he started climbing back up the mountain as fast as he could.

* * *

Hermione and Frodo were running down the passage, desperate to find an exit. Now they were starting to panic. Hermione kept her hand clasped to her brooch, although she was not sure how it would help. _Hurry Sam, please!_

Then Frodo tripped and Hermione sprawled on top of him. They tumbled around, struggling to get out of the web. In the confusion, Hermione almost lost her brooch. But that turned out to be a good thing, because when Frodo saw it, he had an idea.

"I forgot!" he cried, pulling something out from around his neck, "Galadriel gave me a gift too!" He pulled out the phial that contained the Light of Earendiel.

"Perfect!" said Hermione, "With that, plus the light from my wand, we should be able to see things much more clearly." She cast her wand around, and the light landed on a giant spider by the name of Shelob.

"On second thought," Hermione found herself saying, "I don't think I want to see what's in here at all."

It was too late for that. Shelob lunged herself at them, her stinger bared.

* * *

Ginny could feel that the battle was turning for the worst. Now the orcs were sending over flaming boulders as well. She had decided to ride Snout around, because she could kill the orcs more easily that way. 

Gandalf stood a distance away, occasionally glancing in her direction to make sure she was still on her feet. He was very impressed. She had inherited her brothers' skill in battle, maybe even more so then what they possessed. Some of the men had even begun to rally around her, taking heart from her own valor. Occasionally she had to duck as one of the Nazgul got too close, but otherwise she was doing very well.

* * *

"YES!" yelled Ron, pumping his fist as the last Corsair ship's owners were disposed of by the dead army, "These guys are the best!" He seemed to have forgotten his original fear of them. 

"Now what?" asked Harry.

"Now we sail to Minas Tirith," said Aragorn, "We should get there in time. But we'll have to keep out of sight as we get closer."

"Why?" asked Ron, "We've got our army, what do we need to be afraid of?"

"Nothing like the element of surprise," replied Harry.

"And that reminds me," said Gimli, "When we do get to Minas Tirith, Legolas and I have a score to settle with you Ron!"

"Literally," added Legolas.

"Oh you do?" said Ron.

"Yes we do," said Legolas.

"Tell him the first new rule," said Gimli eagerly.

"What new rules!" cried Ron.

"First," said Legolas, "No magic."

"WHAT!"

"Second," he continued, "Gimli and I will combine our scores against yours!"

"CHEATERS!"

"Third, you can't change the rules once they are made."

"You…you…I'll show…YOU'RE SICK PEOPLE!"

Legolas and Gimli laughed.

Harry looked at Aragorn. "Is it just me, or do they take this a bit too seriously?"

Aragorn shrugged wearily. "Whatever makes them happy."

* * *

The army of Rohan was almost at Minas Tirith. Fred, George, and Merry were getting very excited, not catching Eomer's report that the city was nearly overrun. 

"I'll bet they'll write songs about us one day!" said Merry happily.

"They'd better put in a line about our pranking ventures!" said George.

"Speaking of which, I wrote a new song!" said Fred.

"Really? How's it go?" asked Merry.

"Like this," said Fred, "_99 Uruk-hai breaching the wall, 99 Uruk-hai! You take one down by shooting around, 98 Uruk-hai breaching the wall!_"

Merry and George cracked up. "Brilliant!" yelled George.

It was then that they realized that someone else was laughing. It was the young soldier that had watched them leave.

"Who're you?" asked George.

The soldier quickly looked away. "You can call me Dernhelm," he mumbled.

"_Dernhelm_? What sort of name is that?" asked Fred.

Dernhelm blushed.

"It's not that it's a bad name," he continued, winking at George, "I just kinda liked 'Eowyn' better!"

The soldier whirled around. "_What did you say!_"

"Oh come on Eowyn," said George, "We won't tell! Merry here is a stowaway too!"

Eowyn lowered her helmet. "How did you know?" she asked.

"You're talking to the brothers of Ginny Weasley," said Fred, "She does all sorts of stuff like that. Being a girl has never stopped her before."

"Really?" said Eowyn, "Is she in Middle Earth?"

"She was, but we're not sure where she is," replied George.

"I would like to meet her," said Eowyn. The prospect of meeting a girl like her made her excited.

* * *

As Shelob lunged, Frodo shone his phial at her. The spider quailed and stepped back. It was clear that she couldn't stand warmth or light. 

A memory flashed clearly in Hermione's mind. A memory of a giant green plant guarding the Sorcerer's Stone with a tendency to strangle. "_Incendio!_" Flames shot out of her wand. Shelob shrieked and start rolling around on the ground, trying to get it off. This gave Frodo and Hermione the chance they needed to escape. They fled down another passage and down a small hole. It wasn't long, however, until the familiar clicking noise of the spider was back. Panicking, Hermione and Frodo saw an exit, and made a dash for it, only to get caught in a massive web. They struggled to no avail. _Sam, HELP! _thought Hermione desperately.

Suddenly they heard Gollum cackling with delight. They were like flies, caught and about to be dinner. Shelob got closer.

Suddenly enraged, Frodo, who had his sword in hand, starting hacking away at the web. Soon he was free, but he had to let go of his dagger because it got stuck in the web.

"FRODO!"

Frodo turned around and was horrified to see Hermione still stuck. She was trying to use magic, but it wasn't as easy with the tough web. And Shelob was almost on her.

"_DIFFINDO! DIFFINDO!_" she screamed. A few threads came loose. It was too late. Hermione knew it was all over for her, but Frodo could still escape. "GO! GO!" she yelled at him.

"But…"

"GO!" The rest was drowned out by her high-pitched scream as Shelob stabbed her with her stinger. Frodo stared in horror as the creature dragged Hermione's limp body away and started to wrap it up. He couldn't leave her. But then he heard a soft snigger nearby from Gollum. Furious, he lunged out to kill the creature.

Shelob looked up from her work. The hobbit had escaped. That would not do. She would leave the girl here for now, although she wasn't finished wrapping her up, and come back later to feast on them both.

* * *

Dawn was approaching in Minas Tirith. By now the women and children had fled to as far up as they could. Gandalf was ordering a retreat. Ginny was still fighting, slowly, as she worked her way up. 

Suddenly she heard a familiar voice crying out, "GANDALF! GINNY!"

"Pippin?" she called out, confused.

Then she heard Pippin reach Gandalf saying, "Lord Denethor's lost his mind! He's burning Faramir alive!"

_What? _thought Ginny, _He was supposed to be with the Healers! Those idiots! _She pulled on Snout's reins, directing him to follow Gandalf and Pippin, who were riding fast on the back of Shadowfax.

She had just taken a short cut to the highest level, when she saw the back of a winged steed. It was the Witch King. She edged closer, and realized, to her horror, that he was blocking the way of Gandalf and Pippin. She heard them talking, and the beast roaring, but paid no attention. She cautiously started climbing the tail, attempting a sneak attack so she could stab the Witch King.

Then a horn blew out. It was Rohan. They had arrived. The Witch King looked toward the battle field and was off in a flash, Ginny clinging desperately to the tail, her whole body wrapped around it!

A/N: I don't believe this. I really don't believe this. I'd just like to thank Eclipse for letting me know that apparently a new rule says that you can't reply to reviewers! I'm so sorry, I really am! I just hope they don't kick me off, that would be AWFUL! And it would be a shame to kick me off now because I'm almost done with the story! So, just so you know, I'm not snubbing you guys by not replying, I just can't risk it.But please don't stop reviewing, I love getting them!

Also, a lot of you asked about the sequel, so to answer I have a little summary on my Profile! Check it out!


	34. The Pelennor Fields

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I've just learned that some of my relatives might be visiting, so you may not get the next chapter until Tuesday night. I'm sorry about that! Afterwards I'm hoping to continue updating on a daily basis! Which reminds me, some of you have asked how I update so fast. It's because now that I have a laptop, I can stay up late in my room typing the story.

Chapter 34: The Pelennor Fields

On the fields of Pelennor, the orcs were beginning to enter Minas Tirith at a much faster rate. Then a long low horn sounded. They scrambled around to see what it was.

Rohan had come.

Eowyn, Fred, George, and Merry were all riding near the front. They stared out at the army before them. It was a daunting sight. They all gripped their swords tighter. The time had come.

"Fred?" said George.

"What?"

"We're in BIG trouble!"

Fred chuckled. "So what else is new?"

The Witch King flew above his army, surveying the scene. The Rohirrim were yelling death cries to the enemy, who looked dismayed. The wraith sneered. These horsemen could be easily crushed; he would make sure of that.

Meanwhile his beast kept swinging its tail irritably. It felt like there was something attached to it, but the steed couldn't turn to see what it was. That was good, because that something was Ginny, and she could barely hold on as it was. She didn't dare look down, not even to watch the Rohirrim charging down the hill towards the orcs.

Someone should have warned the orcs about Fred, George, Merry, and Eowyn. It was George's turn to carry Merry on his horse, but it made no difference, if anything, it made the pair more formidable. They swung their swords left and right, killing anything foolish enough to be in their paths. The orcs were terrified. They ran this way and that, trying to kill their enemy, who had the advantage of being on horseback. It looked like Rohan was going to win!

Then another horn blew in the distance. It was not a friendly one.

* * *

Hermione lay unconscious in Shelob's tunnel. She knew nothing about what was happening to the hobbits. She was having dark dreams of twisting tunnels and clicking sounds.

Then she found herself in the middle of a golden forest. _I've been here before!_ she realized.

_Hermione Granger._

Hermione spun around. Walking towards her was Galadriel. _I'm in Lothlorien? _she thought in puzzlement.

_Yes. Listen to me Hermione. You have summoned help from my magic brooch, but now your friends are in need of you. Wake and go to them!_

_Where are they?_

_Frodo was attacked by Shelob as he went through the passage to Mordor. Sam saved him, and now the wretched spider is seriously wounded, if not dead. But Sam made a terrible mistake. He mistook both you and Frodo for dead. No harm has come to you, but Frodo was captured by orcs._

_WHAT? Do they have the Ring?_

_No, Sam took it beforehand, so as to complete the Quest. Now he is rushing to Frodo's rescue as we speak._

_Will I get there in time?_

_No, but you must catch up to them in Mordor. Follow the path to Mount Doom. You will meet them, and you must save them from great perils._

_Not more!_

_Yes more. That is what you must do._

_How do you know all this?_

_I have seen it through my Mirror. Now wake! There isn't a moment to lose!_

As she said this, Hermione found herself waking up. She wasn't in Lothlorien. She was alone by the exit to Shelob's lair. Gripping her wand and shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she broke loose from the web cords wrapped around her legs, and managed to cut her way out of the hated tunnel. Then she raced up the path to Mordor. Galadriel was right. They had no time to lose.

* * *

Fred wheeled his horse around in time to see that something was coming towards them. Something huge. In the cloud of dust, he could see what looked like an army of elephants headed toward them.

"Easternlings," whispered Eowyn. She had gone pale.

"What are Easternlings?" asked George.

"Are those _oliphaunts_?" asked Merry in amazement.

"Don't you mean _elephants_?" asked Fred.

"No, oliphaunts."

"What are Easternlings?" asked George.

"They're wicked men from the East," said Eowyn, "And they're riding oliphaunts! I've never seen anything like this before!"

Now that he looked closer, Fred could see the difference between the two species. Oliphaunts were bigger than elephants and they had longer tusks with spikes attached. And their eyes were small and looked evil.

"We're in for it now, George," he said, "We're fighting an army riding giant mutant elephants!"

Théoden was now shouting out orders. They quickly reformed and charged.

"Follow me!" yelled Eowyn, and the three horses went charging underneath the legs of the oliphaunts, dodging arrows and the swinging tusks. Then they all took out their swords and slashed at the creature's unprotected legs and underside. It roared in pain, and they all got out in time before it sank to the ground.

At first things seemed to be going badly, but then Eomer took out his spear and managed to nail two oliphaunts with it! One got hit with the spear in the head, and went thrashing around into the second, causing a major collapse.

Then one oliphaunt was brought down right in Eowyn's path. She jumped off her horse and rolled to the side in time, but the twins couldn't see her. "Eowyn!" yelled Merry.

"Where is she?" asked Fred.

"Look out! Nazgul!" yelled George. They all rode away.

* * *

_Let go! _thought Ginny, _Just let go! _She was closer to the ground now; the Witch King had lowered his steed in search of prey. And it seemed he had found what he was looking for. He swept down, the beast's claws bared.

Ginny let go and went flying off to the side. When she got her breath back and managed to get up, she looked around and saw the Nazgul had knocked down what looked like the King of Rohan. She swore and staggered to her feet. Another soldier got there first, and stood in the way.

_Is it just me? _she thought, _Or did that voice sound almost…feminine? _It couldn't have been. Ginny was the only girl fighting. And that soldier had a lot of strength. In two strokes, he had cut off the steed's head!

The Nazgul was not happy. He jumped off his dead steed and pulled out a mace. "Uh-oh," said Ginny. She staggered to her feet and began to sneak behind the Witch King once again, her sword ready.

* * *

Meanwhile Fred and George could see black ships coming into the harbor. "Oh no," groaned George, "We can't take anymore of this!"

Some of the orcs came walking up to meet the ship. "Late as usual," grumbled the chief, "There's knife-work here that needs doing! Come on ya sea-rats! Get off the ship!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SEA-RAT?" thundered Ron as he jumped off the ship. The orcs stared in confusion. Was this a new recruit, or were they enemies?

"Come on Ron," said Legolas, jumping off as well, "You can't take anything these vermin say to heart!"

The orcs drew their swords. Ok, an elf was here. Definitely enemies.

Then Aragorn, Harry, and Gimli jumped out, weapons glinting in the sunlight. The orcs weren't afraid. How much damage could five warriors do?

Then Aragorn raised his sword and charged. Behind him, the dead army suddenly became visible.

"THEY'RE HERE!" yelled Fred, "George, Merry, look! THEY'RE HERE!"

Rohan's armies cheered.

"Blimey," gasped George, "Look who they brought with them!"

The dead were everywhere at once, killing anything that went near them. It was no contest. You couldn't kill what was already dead.

"Can you imagine if we sent these guys to get You-Know-Who?" asked Ron gleefully.

"I think there's only so much that they'll do," replied Harry.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Witch King had managed to break through the soldier's shield. He picked him up by the throat.

Ginny gripped her sword and got closer. "You fool," she heard the Witch King hiss, "No man can kill me! Die now."

"Oh I don't think so!" she yelled, and plunged her sword in his back. Then she screamed in pain as her whole arm felt like it was on fire!

The Witch King also sank to the ground. He looked up at the soldier, who took off his helmet. "I am no man!" said Eowyn, and she put in the fatal blow.

The Witch King shrieked. His helmet crumpled, and his spirit twisted out of his body, where it exploded. Eowyn fell to her knees, suddenly very weak. On the other side of the body, she saw a young girl with red hair staring at her.

"You're a girl!" exclaimed Ginny, clutching her sword weakly.

"So are you," said Eowyn. They both smiled. "I take it you're Ginny Weasley?" she asked.

"How much have Fred and George told _you_?" she asked in reply.

* * *

"20," gasped Ron, "21…22…23…"

"No!" yelled Legolas, "Gimli, he's _still _beating us!"

"May I make a suggestion?" asked Harry, "Stop using arrows, it wastes precious time and points when you have to reload…"

"HARRY DON'T HELP HIM!" yelled Ron.

* * *

Both Eowyn and Ginny were weak from the attack, although they didn't know why. They tried to crawl away to a safer spot, when Gothmog, the commander of the orcs, came after them.

Eowyn knew it was hopeless, and crawled as fast as she could, while Ginny tried to face him with her sword. She parried a few attacks, and then Gothmog got through and slashed at her chest.

Ginny screamed and sank to the ground. The wound wasn't deep, but it was all she could take at the moment. Gothmog laughed, thinking she would die, and walked away. He didn't get far. Harry, who was swinging at any orc in his way, lobbed off his head with one mighty stroke.

"Harry…?" called Ginny feebly. He didn't see or hear her, and went on.

* * *

Legolas rammed down another orc and then looked up. There was an oliphaunt headed right his way. Without a second's hesitation he ran to it. Ron saw him and knew what he was about to do. An evil grin spread over his face as a plan came to mind.

He ran to the opposite side of where Legolas was climbing. There were plenty of arrows for climbing, which Ron used to his advantage. He went up as quickly as possible and had to jump out of the way as Legolas cut away at the saddle-tent where the Easternlings rode. They all fell off screaming.

Legolas grinned. He couldn't wait to see the look on Ron's face when he pulled this one off! He looked up and saw Ron standing by the oliphaunt's head with his sword raised. _How did he get there? _he thought.

Ron smiled. "I really shouldn't," he said out loud, "I've got so many points already…"

"Don't you dare!"

"Nah, I'll do it!" Ron plunged his sword in.

"You…you…" Legolas couldn't get the words out. Ron had a lot of nerve to pull off something as low as this!

"Now, now," said Ron, trying to act consoling but was failing miserably because he was laughing so hard, "It's not that big of a deal that I've won….Hey, what are you doing? No, wait! AAAAAAAAAAA!"

Legolas smashed into him and they rolled down the trunk, Ron shouting all the time, "Gerroff! It was a joke! A joke! Stop before I do something I'll regret! Stop!"

They both landed on the ground at Harry's feet. "Smooth landing," he said with a smirk, "Suppose you save your energy for what's left of these guys?"

Within minutes there was nothing left of the enemy. The dead ran through the city, clearing out anything that was left and freeing the trapped soldiers at the top of Minas Tirith.

"Wow," said Fred. The three friends looked at each other and whooped in triumph.

"That was great!" yelled George.

"Did you see the way I fought that Easternling back there?" asked Merry, "He was twice my size?"

"And now we get to see Pippin!" yelled Fred. They all cheered.

* * *

Hermione climbed up the last set of stairs and stared into Mordor for the first time. She was in shock. The land seemed to be dark and on fire and breeding evil all at the same time. It was here that she would save the hobbits, wherever they were. It was here that they would finally destroy the Ring in Mount Doom.

_I can't wait_, she thought grimly.

A/N: Ooo, we're almost done! 5 more chapters!


	35. Healing and Counseling

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. Oh yeah, and I checked the rules, and I believe I forgot to put that I didn't come up with songs such as, "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" (although the Uruk-hai version is mine, technically, seeing as how I made it up), or "I Love You" (aka the Barney song), or "This is the Song That Never Ends". If I forgot a song that anyone else sings that's not from Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, it's not mine either.

Chapter 35: Healing and Counseling

Pippin and Gandalf stepped out of the city and on to the field. The hobbit looked around, trying to find his friends.

"PIPPIN!"

Pippin turned to see Fred, George, and Merry running towards him, laughing and whooping. "Hey! Did you see us in battle?" yelled Fred, "Merry took on an Easterling and we all killed an oliphaunt and Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Harry and Ron brought dead guys to help us, and…"

"What did you do?" Merry interrupted.

Pippin decided to tell them what was somewhat the truth. He puffed out his chest a little. "Not too much," he said airily, "Although I did save Gandalf's life!"

Gasps came from the other three. "You did _not_!" cried George.

"Did too!"

"How?" asked Merry, wide-eyed.

Gandalf overheard him telling the story. _I should have known, _he thought wearily, _He hasn't been with them five seconds and already he's having a relapse in behavior!_

"What do you think Gandalf will do for you now?" asked Merry.

_Knock that silly Took over the head with my staff, that's what I'd _like _to do!_

"I don't know," Pippin replied, "But I can't wait to find out!"

* * *

Hermione crept through Mordor, wondering where she'd find Frodo and Sam. Instinct, or perhaps Galadriel's will, seemed to guide her to an old tower. She walked cautiously in, only to realize that the only orcs here were dead orcs. They had obviously gotten into a fight over something. She climbed to the highest room and found another dead orc lying on the ground next to ropes that looked like they'd been cut by a dagger.

"Sam," she murmured, "He _did _save Frodo after all!" The thought cheered her somewhat.

* * *

Aragorn released the dead army, much to their pleasure and Ron and Gimli's _dis_pleasure. Now the survivors were walking among the dead and wounded, searching for familiar faces.

The quiet air was shattered as Eomer suddenly yelled out, "NOOOOOOOOO!"

Everyone turned around. Eomer was cradling what he believed to be his dead sister in his arms. Harry and Ron rushed over. Aragorn stared in horror. _I can't believe it! She actually came along after all! _he thought.

Harry had just gotten to Eomer when he saw another prone figure lying not too far away. "GINNY!" he screamed. Ron, Fred, George, and Pippin ran as fast as they could to the scene. After a few bewildered seconds, Merry and Aragorn followed.

A close inspection discovered that Eowyn and Ginny were _not _dead; they had been poisoned by the Black Breath of the Nazgul. Ginny, however, due to loss of blood from her chest wound, was much worse than Eowyn. Aragorn gently pried her away from Harry, who was holding her, and carried her into Minas Tirith.

"Is…is she going to be all right?" asked Ron hoarsely. Legolas gripped his shoulder.

"Trust Aragorn," he said softly, "He's an experienced healer, and he hasn't failed yet!"

Ron closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. "So who won?" he muttered, not really caring for once.

"You did," said Legolas.

"_Again!_" growled Gimli furiously.

Ron actually smiled. "Does this mean we're going back to the old rules then?"

"Don't press your luck," replied Legolas firmly.

The late afternoon wore on into cool evening. It should have been a peaceful night for the group, if they hadn't been so worried about Eowyn and Ginny. They were also mourning the death of King Théoden, who had been crushed underneath his horse when the Nazgul attacked. Ron was so devastated, and felt so sick by it all, it was a wonder he wasn't lying on a bed in the Houses of Healing himself.

Meanwhile Pippin was telling them all about what happened in Minas Tirith when he got there, how he was employed in Denethor's service, how he'd met Ginny, how she had been banished from the hall ("Aragorn will put that right as soon as he heals her," assured Legolas.) and how Faramir had been sacrificed and almost killed.

"And then Denethor convinced the Healers to let him have Faramir's body, and he had him carried out to the tombs to be burned."

"You mean cremated?" asked Harry in horror.

"I guess," said Pippin, "I tried to explain that he was alive, but Denethor threw me out so I ran to get Gandalf and we rode to the tombs but we were stopped by the Witch King and he broke Gandalf's staff! Then he heard you all coming from Rohan, that was brilliant with the ships by the way, and he rode off and I saw Ginny on his tail and I didn't understand what had happened, but we went up to save Faramir, and Denethor was trying to burn himself too! So we saved Faramir, but Denethor committed suicide before we could really stop him!"

There was a silence. Then Eomer walked in and told them that Eowyn was going to live. "That's excellent news!" exclaimed Merry.

"What about Ginny?" asked Harry. Ron, Fred, and George stood up immediately.

"Aragorn is tending to her, but he's not sure whether she'll make it or not," said Eomer gravely.

Harry didn't wait for more, he got up and walked quickly down the hallway. In a room to his right he found Aragorn sitting by Ginny's bed with all sorts of herbs and plants on a table. Lying in another bed nearby, apparently fast asleep, was Eowyn.

"I've managed to fix up the wound in her chest," said Aragorn without looking up, "That was the easy part I'm afraid. I think she'll live, but it's hard to say at this stage."

Harry went over and sat by her bed. He gently pulled back some of the hair that was in her face. "Come on Ginny," he muttered, "Don't die on me."

"Oh?" Aragorn couldn't help raising his eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"_What_?"

"You just seemed to be, er, a little…affectionate then, that's all."

"Of course," said Harry, starting to turn red, "She's my best friend's sister."

"If you say so," said Aragorn with a shrug, turning back to his work.

"What are you saying?" demanded Harry.

"Nothing."

"Come on," said Harry frantically, "You're not saying that I'm…that I'm…_in love _with Ginny or something?"

"I never said that," said Aragorn casually. He got to his feet. "Watch her," he said, "I have to look at some of the other wounded people. Let me know if she has a relapse." He left.

Harry stared at Ginny. _Was _he in love with her? Was Aragorn right? _Of course not_, he thought, _That would be ridiculous! Besides, what would Ron say? No_, he thought firmly, as though to convince himself. He was _definitely _not in love with Ginny.

* * *

Fred, George, and Merry, despite the circumstances, were having a laughing fit.

"It's _not _funny, guys," said Pippin crossly.

"Yes it is Pippin," said Fred.

"_You lost Exploding Snap to a girl?_" asked Merry.

"Yes," muttered Pippin sulkily.

"Well, maybe not just any girl," said George, "Ginny is pretty good."

"Still," snorted Fred, "He was _finally _beaten! So tell us Pippin, how does it feel to be among the losers?"

" Oh shut up," said Pippin. He had only told them the story to cheer them up over their sister. Now he was sorely regretting it.

"Did you hear that George?" asked Fred, "It appears that Pippin has picked up on our slang terms! Now he knows how to say 'shut up'!"

"We taught him all we know," said George, pretending to wipe away a tear.

"This calls for a celebration game!" cried Merry. The others loved the idea.

"How do you play?" asked Legolas curiously.

"You don't play card games?" asked Ron incredulously.

"What are they?" asked Gimli.

The Fearsome Foursome grew evil grins. "Would you like us to teach you?" asked Fred.

"I'll teach them," said Ron hastily.

"That's the prefect for you," snarled George under his breath, "Loves to take away all the fun!"

* * *

After a while, Aragorn returned to find that Ginny was still asleep and Harry was still there.

"She hasn't changed for the worse?"

Harry shook his head. "But she hasn't woken up!"

"Then let's leave her in peace," said Aragorn, gently dragging him away. They hadn't gone far down the hall when they heard a small explosion. "What was that!" exclaimed Aragorn.

"That'll be the twins," said Harry, "Therefore I don't want to know!"

* * *

The explosion woke Ginny. She sat up, and instantly felt a pain in her chest. "Where am I?" she muttered.

"You're inside Minas Tirith," said Eowyn, who had just woken up.

"How'd I get in here? The last thing I remember was…"

"That foul white orc struck you down, I know, I saw. I'm sorry I didn't help, but I knew I couldn't fight, I just felt so weak…"

"You did? Me too! Why was that?"

"I guess it had something to do with the Nazgul," said Eowyn.

"Oh yeah. You were brilliant against him! The way you took off your helmet and everything!"

"You were too! I would've died if you hadn't stabbed him like that, he had me by the throat; I couldn't get away!"

"Why did you do that?"

"Fight the Nazgul? Because he attacked my uncle." Tears formed in Eowyn's eyes. "He died."

"Wasn't that the King of Rohan? He looked like it, with everyone answering to him, and he had such magnificent armor, and such a beautiful horse!"

"Yes, Théoden was my uncle," said Eowyn, now crying softly. "I tried to save him, I really did, but it was too late!"

"Well, don't go blaming yourself now, what you did was really brave and no one could do better! Do women always fight in Rohan? I'd always thought they didn't!"

"And I always thought women weren't aloud to fight in Gondor!"

Ginny grinned wryly. "Another stowaway, eh?" Eowyn nodded, smiling again. "Well, this must be our punishment for disobeying the men!"

"It was worth it!" said Eowyn fervently, "I mean, it wasn't fun, thinking I would probably die, but at least I got to prove myself!"

"Me too! Now my brothers can't coddle me anymore!"

"Fred and George coddle you?" asked Eowyn incredulously.

"Well, maybe _they _don't, and Bill, my oldest brother, he's good too, but the others…"

"How many brothers do you have?"

"Six."

"One, and he's bad enough! He knew I was going to sneak in, and he tried to stop me too!"

"When will they learn that doing things like that only encourages us?"

"Really!" Eowyn laughed, "The other women are no help either; they don't understand me at all!"

"You should've seen some of the looks _I've _gotten! Mum thinks I want to go way over my head! She keeps saying if I carry on with sports and teasing Ron the way I do, it'll be only a matter of time before she gets an owl saying I've been seriously injured and I'm in the hospital wing at my school!"

"The hospital wing…is that like these Houses of Healing?"

"Yeah," said Ginny. "And look at me now!" she said, gesturing to her bed. Both young women lay on their beds, helpless with fits of laughter.

"Arrgh," groaned Ginny, "That hurts my chest! Who fixed me?"

"Aragorn," said Eowyn. For some reason she looked sad again.

"Who? Oh that's right, I remember Hermione telling me about him! What's wrong?"

Eowyn sighed heavily.

"You can tell me, I won't say anything, I promise! Ask anybody! I don't tell other people's secrets!" insisted Ginny.

"All right," she said. She took a deep breath and said, "I love him."

"Ohhhh!" Ginny nodded in understanding. "I take it he doesn't like you back?"

"No."

"Well, I think every girl goes through that!" said Ginny, "I have! I loved, I still love actually, Harry."

"Harry Potter?"

"That's the one!"

"He was in here before," Eowyn told her, "I heard him. He was asking if you were going to be ok. I wish Aragorn would do that for me."

"He did?" asked Ginny hopefully, "Well, Aragorn _healed _you didn't he? What more do you want?"

"I want him to love me!" cried Eowyn miserably.

"Hmm," said Ginny, "Well…that's understandable. But what can we do?"

"Nothing. He loves someone else."

"Oh. Well, there's always Faramir!"

"Who?"

"Faramir. He's a friend of mine, kind of the opposite of both of us, but you'd like him. I wonder how he's doing. He was almost killed trying to retake Osgiliath."

Eowyn got up and stretched. She looked out of the window into a nearby courtyard. There was a young man standing outside. He saw her and smiled.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"Let me see," said Ginny, looking out, "Hey! That's Faramir!"

"Ginny!" he called and went over to say hello. "In the Houses of Healing?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "I _told _you not to go into battle!"

"And _we_ killed the Witch King, so ha!"

"The _Witch King_?" gasped Faramir, "That's impossible! No man can kill him!"

"Do we look like men?" asked Ginny.

"No," admitted Faramir, "Who is your lovely friend here?"

"This is Eowyn," said Ginny cheerfully, "She went into battle too!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you," said Faramir kindly, "It's nice to know you found a kindred spirit Ginny. I'll leave you to recover now."

"Bye!" she waved. Then she turned to Eowyn. "Isn't he nice?"

"I suppose he is," said Eowyn quietly, "Yes, he's very respectable."

"See? I knew you'd get along!" Ginny suddenly yawned loudly. "I guess I'd better sleep," she said, "Let me know if I have any visitors!"

"I think I'm going to rest too, so don't expect too much from me," replied Eowyn. They both collapsed on their beds wearily and fell asleep in seconds.

The next morning Ginny was awake to see Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin. They all swapped stories for the next few hours, and then Aragorn came in with some medicine for the girls, which they both claimed was vile. Then he turned to the others.

"Gandalf is calling a council, we have to go now."

"Can we come?" asked Ginny eagerly.

"No, you're not well enough. Lie down."

"I help kill a Ringwraith, and what do I get? _Lie down_!" muttered Ginny darkly. Eowyn smothered her laughter in her pillow.

The group walked into the Hall, where Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, and Eomer were already there. Both Legolas and Gimli burst into wide smiles when they saw the group, which were returned by Aragorn, Harry, and Ron, but the Fearsome Foursome merely grunted a greeting. They were all muttering things like, "…never speaking to them again!" and "…2 wins each! What's _wrong_ with us?" and "The next person who mentions 'Exploding Snap' to them gets a special little (unpleasant) surprise!"

Gandalf cleared his throat and glared in their direction. All four shut up, and the meeting began.

Despite their victory at Minas Tirith, things were not going well. Nobody knew what had happened to Frodo, Sam, and Hermione, and the whole future of Middle Earth depended on them. Harry felt like instead of being congratulated for all the work they had done to protect Gondor, they were simply being rebuked instead.

"What are we going to do?" he asked Gandalf, "How can we help them?"

"If Sauron had the Ring we would know it," Aragorn pointed out.

"It's only a matter of time," said Gandalf sadly. He seemed to have lost all hope.

"But what makes you think they can't do it?" asked Ron, "Hermione's the best witch they could ask for!"

"Magic will not help with everything," said Gandalf.

"Like what?" asked Ron.

"Like 10,000 orcs that stand between them and Mount Doom."

"Ohhhh…"

"I've sent them to their deaths," said Gandalf. He looked defeated.

"That can't be right!" exclaimed Harry, "There has to be a way we can help!"

"There is," said Aragorn quietly. He'd been thinking hard. "They need time and safe passage across the plains of Mordor. We can give them that."

"How?" asked Gimli slowly.

"Well, in order to do that, we'd have to get rid of all the orcs," said Harry thoughtfully, "And the only way Sauron's going to use his orcs is when he thinks he needs to atta…" He suddenly understood. "No…"

"Why not?' asked Aragorn. He was getting a little excited. "We can march upon the Black Gate and keep his Eye fixed on us…"

"…while they make their way to Mount Doom!" finished Harry. He let out a low whistle.

"A diversion," said Legolas, nodding. He knew a good plan when he heard one, and it was the only one they had.

"So you want us to basically knock on Sauron's front door, get him to come after _us _instead, and then he kills us and we just _hope _that Frodo, Sam, and Hermione get through?" asked Ron incredulously.

"I would prefer if we didn't die," said Aragorn, "Although it is a possibility, but it's the only chance they have!"

"It's _crazy_!" exclaimed Fred.

"It's not crazy Fred, it's _insane_!" cried George.

They looked at each other and grinned. "We love it!" they said.

"Sauron will suspect a trap," said Gandalf, looking unconvinced, "He will not take the bait."

"Oh I think he will," said Aragorn, with something close to a smirk.

_Wonder what he's got up his sleeve? _Wondered Harry. It didn't matter really. He trusted Aragorn.

"Certainty of death, small chance of success! What are we waiting for?" demanded Gimli.

"Here, here!" chorused the Foursome. They seemed to have forgotten they weren't speaking to him.

* * *

That night, Harry couldn't sleep. He finally stopped trying and got up, thinking he would get himself a drink and then try again. But his pitcher was empty, so he ended up wandering around, looking for the kitchens.

He walked past Ginny and Eowyn's room and looked in. They were both sleeping soundly. He smiled. They were recovering wonderfully, though no one dared mention the word "battle" in front of them, knowing what they would do.

He had just walked past a door that lead into the Hall when he heard a yell. Heart beating fast, he crept in, and then dashed to the throne, where he saw Aragorn bent over. Nearby was the palantir.

"Aragorn! What happened! What are you doing? Did he get you with the palantir? What happened!"

Aragorn looked up and put a finger to his lips. Harry quieted. "I was just looking into the palantir," he whispered.

"That's obvious," Harry whispered, "Why?"

"I thought if he knew I was coming tomorrow, he'd definitely come after us instead. It wouldn't hurt for him to think I have the Ring either."

"Did he…hurt you?"

"No, not physically. But Harry," he moaned.

"What? What?"

Aragorn took a deep breath, realized he couldn't go on, and simply pointed to the floor. It was then for the first time that Harry saw the shards of Aragorn's necklace on the ground.

"It broke?" he asked, bewildered.

"Yes. Harry, I think Arwen…is…I think she's dead!" He almost looked ready to cry, something he _never _did.

"But…you said…she was going to Valinor!"

"I know, I know," groaned Aragorn in utter anguish. "She didn't. Elrond told me, remember when I said he gave me news from Rivendell?"

Harry wanted to kick himself. How could he have been so stupid? Of course Elrond had been telling him about Arwen, but none of this occurred to him in the mountains.

"You had other things on your mind," said Aragorn sympathetically, "But the point is, he told me she forsook her immortality, and because of that, what with the evil spreading everywhere, she was dying!"

"So…how do you know she's dead now?"

"I saw it in the palantir!"

"And you believe Sauron?" asked Harry.

Aragorn paused. It was a good point. "Yes, but…the necklace…"

"I can fix that," said Harry, "Here…_Reparo!_" The necklace came together again.

"Thank you Harry," said Aragorn. He placed it over his neck again. "Now go get some sleep."

And, surprisingly, after he got back to bed, Harry found going to sleep the easiest thing in the world, as if he'd done what he'd meant to do, and now he could rest.

A/N: Ok, I managed to get this chapter in. The next one I'm hoping will come out on Tuesday night.


	36. Mordor

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

A/N: I'mSO sorry! I know I said Tuesday night, but I didn't have any time to write this weekend! I need to get back on track so I can finish this before school starts. That's the goal anyway. Cross your fingers!

Chapter 36: Mordor

Hermione hid behind a rock, and then cautiously peered out. She could see the backs of two orcs headed down into the valley, which was slowly emptying out. She wondered where they were all going, but it didn't matter. She needed to find Frodo and Sam.

Hermione cautiously slid down the hill, drawing her elvish cloak tight. This place felt so evil she shivered. Then she heard the sound of a company of orcs marching this way. Quickly, Hermione crouched down, pulling her cloak over her head. She knew how they worked. But she was surprised to see that the two orcs in front of her, instead of joining up with the army, were trying to hide as well. Maybe they were deserters. But Hermione had always thought that orcs were thirsty for blood and ever-eager for battle. So what was going on with these two?

The captain of the troops had just noticed the two stragglers, and immediately began beating them and pushing them up to the front of the line as punishment. It was then that Hermione noticed something the other orcs did not. Underneath those helmets was pale skin. Skin the color of her own, in adverse to orcs. She realized in an instant who they were. "Frodo and Sam!" she breathed. With a sinking feeling, Hermione wondered what she could possibly do to get them out of this sticky situation.

* * *

Early the next morning, the armies of Rohan and Gondor marched out of Minas Tirith to Mordor. Leading them were Gandalf, Aragorn, Eomer, Harry, Ron, Legolas, Gimli, Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin. 

Ginny, Eowyn, and Faramir were forced to stay behind. They weren't fit to go into battle again, something the girls were _not _happy about. But this gave Ginny the chance to put two of her new friends together by suggesting to each one separately that they take a walk in the courtyard for health reasons. When asked if she was going with them, she refused, saying she needed to lie down again.

What she was really doing of course, was lurking out of sight, watching with growing glee as Faramir met Eowyn, the two talked softly to each other, and eventually Faramir took Eowyn's hand. Ginny twisted her head to see Eowyn's eyes were filled with happy tears as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She went back to her room wearing a smirk that hid her true happiness for both friends. "You did good today Ginny Weasley," she said to herself.

* * *

Hermione crawled along, lurking out of sight, trying to follow the progress of the hobbits. Her heart nearly stopped when the orc in charge yelled out "Inspection!" 

Thinking quickly, Hermione glanced around from underneath the cloak, where, to everyone else, she looked like a huge rock. She saw there was a tent nearby, and behind it, wilderness. It was the perfect place for an escape route. But how to help the hobbits?

The answer was lying a few feet away. No one noticed Hermione crawl out of sight; their eyes were fixed straight ahead as they were being inspected.

Suddenly one of the orcs on the side yelled in pain as a small rock hit him on the head. He whirled around to face the orc behind him. "Why'd you hit me?"

"I did not!" yelled the other orc.

"Yes you did you liar!" screamed the first orc, pushing him into the others. Thus began a huge brawl with all the orcs fighting and screaming as each one tried to come out on top as the strongest. Frodo and Sam, hidden in line, saw the opportunity to escape, and ran into the nearby tent, where they were immediately grabbed by Hermione.

"Shh!" she whispered as they started to cry out, "It's only me!"

"Hermione?" gasped Sam, "We thought you were dead!"

"Well I'm not, as you can see," she hissed, "I'm just fine! Hurry, let's get out of here!"

"How did you find us?" asked Frodo as they crept out.

"Later," she whispered.

* * *

The Black Gate was coming into view. "Whoa," was all Ron could make out. 

Aragorn and Eomer assembled the troops farther back, and waited. Nothing happened.

"Where are they?" asked Pippin.

Aragorn nudged Brego forward in response, and he, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, and Eomer rode forward.

"Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth!" shouted Aragorn, "Let justice be done upon him!"

Silence.

"Now would be a good time!" shouted Fred. Suddenly the gates began to creak open. Everyone stared at Fred.

"What?" he said innocently, "I didn't know they were going to do that!"

The gates opened wide enough for one rider to come out. It was one of the most evil servants in Mordor, the lieutenant of Barad-dur, known as the Mouth of Sauron. Harry's first impression was that it needed to see a dentist immediately. His helmet covered his entire head, with only the mouth showing, and two very narrow slits for eyes. His teeth were huge, fang-shaped, and bloodstained.

"My Master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome," he said with a sneer.

"Sauron the Great? Who gave him _that _title?" Ron whispered to Harry.

The Mouth turned his head in their direction so fast that they jumped. "Who might you be?" he asked, "Are you those strangers the Nazgul have told us so much about?"

"We have a reputation now, do we?" asked Harry coldly.

"Oh yes," said the Mouth, "They have said you have the abilities of…_wizards_." It sounded like he highly doubted they were magical. "Most unnatural," he continued, "But the powers they tell us you claim to have are certainly impressive…it's a shame you chose not to side with…" he cast a sneering glance at the rest of them, "the winners."

"We'll see who wins," said Ron angrily.

The Mouth of Sauron laughed, and turned to the others. Gandalf delivered their ultimatum: leave Middle Earth and never come back. Harry thought this was asking a bit too much, especially to a powerful dark lord, but then it occurred to him that Gandalf knew full well he would never accept it, this was just a form of war etiquette that the wizard insisted on using.

Sure enough, the evil lieutenant sneered at these demands and said, "I have a token I was bidden to show thee." He held out a pearly-white shirt made of mithril.

Harry instantly felt sick. He recognized that shirt, from a time months and months ago in Moria. That was Frodo's shirt, and there could only be one way this creature could have it…

Everyone else realized what this must mean too. Only Ron had no idea. "Why's everyone so upset over a shirt?" he hissed to Harry, "It looks nice and everything, but is it magical or something?"

Harry leaned over and whispered to whom it belonged to. "Oh…" said Ron, comprehension dawning on his face, "But…but…that means…" He gasped. "Where's Hermione?" he demanded.

"Who?" asked the Mouth, jerking his head in Ron's direction.

"Hermione," he repeated looking pale and sweaty, "What did you do to Hermione?"

"Is that his name?" he asked, shaking the shirt.

Relief washed over Harry. He quickly nodded and kicked Ron hard before he could say anything else. If the Mouth thought Hermione and Frodo were the same person, then it was possible that they had only caught Frodo. And what about Sam? He listened carefully as the Mouth gloated. The lieutenant only spoke of one. Even more hopeful, he didn't mention the Ring at all. Could it be that Sam and Hermione were still safe, and the Ring as well? Had they saved Frodo after all?

While Harry pondered all this, he failed to notice Fred and George muttering darkly to each other. Then they looked up and nudged their horses over to the Mouth of Sauron.

"We really hate to waste this on something like you," said Fred.

"But we were told to use this wisely, and we think now is the best time," explained George.

"What are you talking about…?" the Mouth never finished his sentence, because Fred and George had simultaneously took out their pouches of fire powder and flung them in his direction, where he promptly exploded in their faces.

They all stared at the settling dust. "A fitting end for someone like him," said George.

Suddenly the gates began to really creak open. "Get back!" Harry found himself yelling. They rode back to where their armies were waiting. When he turned around, Harry could see thousands upon thousands of orcs marching out of Mordor and slowly starting to circle around them. He gulped and gripped his sword tighter. One thing was certain: this would _not _be a pleasant experience.

* * *

Meanwhile, the trio was making their way across the plains to the slopes of Mount Doom. Hermione was exhausted, but she knew she was nowhere near as weary as Frodo. They had eventually abandoned everything but the Ring, a weapon each, and the clothes on their backs as they started the long treacherous climb.

* * *

"I still don't see why we have to turn our horses loose," said Ron. 

"It gives us an unfair advantage from the rest of the soldiers," explained Legolas.

"We're the captains! Of course we have advantages! They're more like privileges really! And I don't think you were too fussed back at Minas Tirith when Rohan had an _unfair advantage _over the orcs!"

"That's different, and you know it," replied Legolas, "It's one thing if they are the enemy, quite another if it's your fellow soldiers…"

"Why would they care? Besides, I'm more comfortable on horseback!"

"You did fine at Minas Tirith," said Harry.

"I was lucky," replied Ron stubbornly.

"Ah," said Gimli, with a wink at Legolas, "So the only reason you beat _us_ was _luck_. I see…"

"Actually, that was skill!" said Ron quickly.

"It's alright Ron," said Harry, "The horses will find their way back, and you'll get to ride it to wherever we go to get back home."

"But will we live to get back home?" asked Ron anxiously, "That's what I want to know!"

Harry looked out at the enemy. They now had the armies of Rohan and Gondor completely surrounded. "Well," he said, as optimistically as possible, "We'll have to wait and see!" Ron snorted at this.

The orcs kept marching. Hermione, Frodo, and Sam continued to draw closer to Mount Doom. The final conflict had come.

The soldiers looked ready to panic, now that they saw what they were up against, and Harry couldn't blame them. But Aragorn now rode up in front of them, shouting, "Hold your ground! Hold your ground!" Everyone stopped. Harry watched his friend with increasing admiration. The long-lost king of Gondor had really returned, and now he was putting new heart into his defeated men. "I see your eyes," he shouted, "The same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come, when the courage of men fail, when we forsake our friends, and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day! An hour of wolves, and shattered shields, when the Age of Men come crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight!" Harry felt something inside him stir, something he hadn't felt since the night he fought Voldemort in the graveyard. "By all that you hold dear, on this good earth, I bid you stand Men of the West!"

If the situation had allowed, Harry felt certain that all the men would have cheered. He saw Aragorn glance at him, almost to get the rate of approval. Harry smiled, nodded, and gave him the thumbs up. (Aragorn was still trying to grasp what a thumbs-up really meant.)

* * *

Hermione bent over, panting, on a sort of carven step in the slope. She and the hobbits stared straight ahead. A gaping, flaming entrance way into the heart of Mount Doom. The end was finally here. 

But there was no time to celebrate. Suddenly Hermione heard a snarling cry and looked up in time to see, with a jolt of shock, Gollum leap onto Sam, who was carrying Frodo on his shoulders, and knock them to the ground. Sam rolled away in one direction, but Frodo was trapped, pinned underneath Gollum, who was choking him.

Rage suddenly filled Hermione. Without thinking, she whipped out her wand and screamed, "_Furnunculus!_" Gollum howled as boils sprang up everywhere on him. He turned and tackled Hermione and began wrestling with her on the ground.

"Get…off me…you little vermin…"

"Vermin! You is a liar who hates Sméagol!"

"I…never…hated you," she gasped, "I tried…to give you a chance…you wouldn't take it…"

Gollum did not have a chance to answer, because at that moment Sam came up from behind and pulled him off Hermione. Shrieking, he and Sam got in their own brawl.

"Frodo?" called Hermione in panic, looking around. Filled with a sudden new strength, the little hobbit had picked himself up and was now running into Mount Doom.

Sam slashed at Gollum's chest and he fell, howling miserably. "Come on Sam!" cried Hermione, grabbing his hand and pulling him along, "Frodo's gone in!"

* * *

Now the gates were completely open and the orcs had stopped marching. Harry could see, quite clearly, the tower of Barad-dur, and a horrible, enormous red eye, surrounded by flames, and fixed on the armies before him. He shivered, and began to wish, for the first time in months, that he had never come to Middle Earth. 

Aragorn too, was staring at the Eye of Sauron, his mortal enemy. Both seemed to realize the other's fixation, glanced at each other, and gave each other an encouraging smile. "For Frodo," said Aragorn softly.

"And Hermione," added Ron from nearby.

"Don't forget Sam," said Harry. They all held each other in their gaze for a moment longer, then Aragorn unsheathed Anduril and charged. Harry was right behind him, flashing the sword of Godric Gryffindor, then Gandalf, and Ron, and ("Ah! Legolas! He's getting a head start!" shouted Gimli.) and Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, and Eomer, and all the soldiers came running into battle.

* * *

"FRODO?" called Sam over the roaring of the lava inside Mount Doom. 

"FRODO, WHERE ARE YOU?" yelled Hermione. She squinted a bit, and saw, at the very edge of the cliff, a small figure with his hand stretched out, holding the Ring. "QUICK FRODO!" she yelled, "DESTROY IT!"

But Frodo didn't move.

* * *

From the very beginning, Harry could see what a hopeless battle this was. None of his friends had died yet, but it was only a matter of time. Now the Nazgul were flying out over the battle, and trolls were coming through, swinging their clubs. 

Suddenly, Harry thought he heard a small voice from nearby yell out, "The Eagles are coming!" _Eagles_? He thought, _What eagles? _A piercing shriek was the answer. Huge birds, bigger even then the eagles in his world, were soaring through the sky, racing to meet the Nazgul and their winged steeds. The conflict was growing fiercer by the second.

* * *

Hermione walked closer and closer to Frodo. "What are you doing?" she called, "Let go!" 

Frodo turned around slowly. The moment Hermione saw the look in his eyes, she knew all was lost. "The Ring is mine," he said.

"Are you _insane_!" she whispered.

In response, Frodo tore the Ring from its chain and put it on, vanishing completely. From his tower in Barad-dur, Sauron sensed the Ring. Realizing he had been tricked, he shrieked a command to the Nazgul, who promptly flew back to Mount Doom, where everything was going wrong.

"NO!" screamed Sam.

"FRODO, DON'T!" wailed Hermione. In vain, she tried groping the air, searching for him. When she turned around, she was surprised to see Gollum hit Sam over the head with a rock, and then search the area with an eager look on his face. "Sméagol!" she found herself crying out, "He's got the Ring! Do something!"

Gollum did something all right. He stared at the ground, where he could see Frodo's footprints. Then he leapt in the air, where the two began fighting. Hermione could only watch in growing horror.

* * *

Harry had just killed another orc when he heard a troll's horrible roars and Legolas yelling. Sick with fear, he turned around to see that Legolas was actually yards away to _get_ to the troll. It made no sense to Harry, until he saw what was lying underneath the troll's foot. Aragorn. 

Harry plowed straight through the orcs separating him from the troll, and plunged his beautiful sword straight into its leg. It roared, turned around, and grabbed the source of its pain. Harry struggled in the troll's grip, trying to reach his sword which was lying unhelpfully on the ground, watching as the troll lifted its club to bring it smashing down on his body.

* * *

Gollum, meanwhile, had managed to bite off Frodo's finger. He screamed and came into view. And now Gollum had the Ring. 

But as he danced with delight, it slipped out of his hand, and rolled away, right in the path of Hermione. She didn't hesitate, but picked it up, leapt passed Gollum and Frodo, who were now in hot pursuit, and ran towards the Crack where the evil could be destroyed.

As she reached it and prepared to throw it over, something told her to stop. _It really is pretty, _she thought, _I'll bet I could take it right now, and nobody would know, I wouldn't have to tell Harry or Ron…_

Suddenly, in her head, she thought she saw Harry and Ron staring at her in horror. She realized that taking the Ring was the wrong thing to do, and her head cleared. Without another thought, she tossed it in.

Time seemed to stand still. Then a shrieking Gollum, who had been in the process of jumping over Hermione to get the Ring, slipped and plummeted off the cliff and out of sight. Frodo was more lucky. Hermione caught him before he went over.

Suddenly the whole mountain seemed to explode. Lava was bursting everywhere, and the floor was crumbling. "RUN!" yelled Sam, grabbing Hermione's hand and leading them both out.

* * *

The troll had been at the point of killing Harry when silence fell over the army. Barad-dur was crumbling. Sauron was shrieking as his Eye expanded and twisted and then just exploded, while the tower itself collapsed. The troll dropped Harry and ran. The rest of the orcs followed, but a giant chasm was being created by the explosion, and they were all sinking in along with the Black Gate. By some miracle, the chasm ended right where the armies of light stood. 

Aragorn ran over to Harry, checked him for any injuries, and then helped him up. Together they stared in disbelief as all of Sauron's works were destroyed. Then…

"What happened!" yelled Ron.

"It's over, it's all over, they did it!" yelled Harry.

Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin were going crazy. Gimli and Ron were cheering, Legolas was simply staring at it in amazement. Even Gandalf was laughing. Harry didn't know how to express his happiness. He was alive, they were all alive, and the war was over.

Then Gandalf stopped laughing. Lava was racing down the mountain from all sides. "How are they going to get out?" asked Ron. Nobody wanted to answer.

Then Gandalf said, "They may still be alive." He spoke to one of the eagles, and rode one of them as a few flew over to Mount Doom as quickly as possible.

Harry couldn't bear to think of Hermione dead, not when they had just won. Trying to shut out the possibility, he turned to Aragorn and asked, "What are we going to do when they get back?"

"Go home and rest," replied Aragorn.

"I'm all for that!" said Harry.

* * *

Somehow, Hermione had grabbed both Sam and Frodo and jumped onto an outstretched rock, barely escaping the lava in time. They lay there panting. Then Frodo looked at Hermione. 

"You destroyed it."

"Yes," she said, uncertain as to how he would react.

"It was my task, but you did it in the end." He hung his head. "I failed!"

"No you didn't," said Hermione, "I could never have carried the Ring all the way from the Shire to Mount Doom! You did! But you were so tired; it's understandable that you couldn't part with it in the end! I almost didn't, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, really."

Frodo looked a bit better, but Hermione and Sam could see he was still upset. "Look, I have an idea," said Sam, "Let's not tell anyone what happened!"

"I couldn't do that!" cried Frodo, "I couldn't bear it!"

"Oh Frodo, let's do that!" said Hermione, "Otherwise I get a whole lot of attention that I don't need, I don't want, and I don't deserve! Believe me, it's better this way!"

"I don't deserve it either!" cried Frodo.

"Yes you do," said Hermione, "I've told you, you carried the Ring all the way to Mount Doom, it doesn't matter what happened in the end! All that matters is it's over, and now I'm going to lie down and have the best sleep since I don't know when!" And with that, she promptly collapsed on the rock.

"Come to think of it," said Sam, looking around, "How are we going to get off?"

"Harry…and Ron…will find us…" she murmured sleepily.

"We don't know where they are, or where your friend Ron is," said Frodo, "We never found out. Besides, they probably think we're dead."

"That's right," said Hermione, sitting up. Her eyes filled with tears. "I'll probably never see Ron again. The last time I saw him was…at Hogwarts! Good old Hogwarts!" she murmured, "How will the others ever find a way back if we die? They'll have to stay here forever, and it's all my fault!" She started crying.

"Middle Earth is a nice place really," said Sam comfortingly, "They could stay in the Shire. Or Rivendell, with the elves. Or with Aragorn, Harry was getting on well with him the last time I saw."

Hermione nodded. "I suppose you're right, but I feel like…this isn't right! It shouldn't have to end this way!"

Frodo leaned over and hugged his two friends. "I'm glad to be with you, Sam and Hermione," he said softly, "Here at the end of all things."

Hermione smiled and nodded. They were a team. Maybe Frodo and Sam would never truly replace Harry and Ron, but they came close enough. Within a few minutes all three of them were sound asleep.

* * *

"Look!" cried Ron. Gandalf was coming back. 

"Did they…?" Pippin started to ask.

Legolas squinted as he stared up at the sky. "I think…he's got them! They made it!" Everyone cheered. When Gandalf landed, Harry, Ron, Merry, and Pippin were the first ones there to see their beloved friends safe, with Fred and George in hot pursuit.

"Settle down, move away," said Gandalf, but he was smiling, "They're asleep, let them rest!"

They all backed away. Gandalf put Frodo on his horse, Ron quickly took Hermione, and Harry took Sam. They all rode back to Minas Tirith as quickly as possible, where everyone would be waiting to here the outcome, Ginny prominent among them.


	37. Going Home

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 37: Going Home

The first thing Hermione realized when she woke up was that she was no longer in Mordor. She felt herself in a soft bed with birds singing outside. She could also hear familiar voices nearby.

"When d'you think she'll wake up?"

"Ron, you've asked that a million times already!"

"Yeah, if you really want to know, why don't you wake her up yourself?"

"I can't do that!"

"Then stop asking!"

"Leave him alone you guys; he hasn't seen her in ages!"

"Neither have we! Look who's talking, you were the one hopping around saying, 'Is she alive? Is she alive?'"

"Oh stop it, all of you! You'll wake her up!"

"Ginny?" mumbled Hermione. She opened her eyes and saw Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny staring anxiously down at her.

"Hermione!" Both Harry and Ron pulled her into a hug.

"Where am I?" she muttered, "The hospital wing?"

"You could say that," said Ginny.

"Oh guys, I had the weirdest dream! I invented this time portal, that could take you to different dimensions, and we all went through and got lost in this place called…"

"Middle Earth?" asked Fred.

"How did you know?" asked a very shocked Hermione.

"Because it wasn't a dream. We're all in Minas Tirith right now," replied Harry.

"Minas Tirith?" gasped Hermione. She sat up slowly and looked around. Yes, they were definitely still in Middle Earth. "Where are Frodo and Sam?" she gasped, "How did you find us like that? What happened to Sauron, and all the orcs? Did anyone besides Gandalf and Boromir die?"

"Actually, Gandalf's alive after all," said Ginny, "He came back to life apparently. A lot of people have died, but no one else from the Fellowship."

"That's good I suppose," sighed Hermione.

"Aragorn had the idea to battle at the Black Gate, to buy you lot some time to get to Mount Doom," explained Harry, "Once the mountain exploded, we realized what you'd done. So Gandalf took some of the eagles with him and they went to look for you. It took a few hours, but they found you and brought you back in the end."

"Are Frodo and Sam awake?"

"Sam is. He hardly left you at all," said Ginny, "Merry and Pippin finally dragged him away to the kitchens so he would actually eat!"

"Yeah, Legolas and Gimli should be coming in to get me at any minute," said Ron, "They'll be thrilled to see you're awake!"

"What happened to you all after I left?" asked Hermione.

So began the swapping of tales. Sam had pretty much already filled them in on everything that had happened on their journey to Mordor, but there were parts during Shelob's attack that they needed both accounts for. The others told Hermione all about Sam fighting the spider, ("I could never do that!" cried Ron.) and how he had rescued Frodo from the tower. Hermione in turn told them about her heart-stopping chase through Shelob's lair, (Ginny was particularly interested in this, as it reminded her of a certain dream she had not too long ago…) her talk with Galadriel, and how she had rescued the hobbits from the orcs.

Meanwhile Harry and Ron told her all about Helm's Deep, the Paths of the Dead, and sneaking to Minas Tirith via the corsair ships. Fred and George told her about the Uruk-hai, the Ents and Isengard, the party at Rohan, the great race, and riding into Minas Tirith. Ginny told her all about her battle ventures at Osgiliath and with the Witch King. Sometime during all this, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Pippin, and Sam came in at different intervals, and got to here the stories all over again.

"Well," said Hermione finally, "My worst fears were correct. You _did _get into trouble while I was gone!"

"That's what we're here for Mum," said Fred with a wink.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Someone remind me why I missed you two!"

"You _missed _us?" cried George in mock surprise, "Gee, I thought you were celebrating the fact that we were gone!"

"Of course not!" cried Hermione in real shock.

At this point Gandalf arrived to tell them that Frodo was awake, and they all ran out, except for Ron, who stayed to help Hermione get out of bed. She smiled and blushed, and thanked him for his help.

Frodo was delighted to see them all again, and shared a wink with Hermione as he relived _his _part in the Quest. All three of them stayed true to their word and didn't tell a soul the truth about what happened at the Crack of Mount Doom.

The next few weeks that passed were blissful. Now that there were no more battles, no more tasks, everyone was able to catch up on some much needed rest. For the first time they could really just enjoy themselves. Ginny kept her promise and rode Pippin out to look at Ithilien. He wasn't too impressed, saying he preferred the Shire to the woods. He also preferred spending time with Fred, George, and Merry in their pranking ventures. Harry, Ron, Legolas, and Gimli liked walking through Minas Tirith, while Harry and Ron took their friends into the finer details of Quidditch. It didn't take long for them to realize this sort of thing was way over their heads. But none of them really cared.

Hermione and Ginny were thrilled to be reunited, and Hermione was soon introduced to Eowyn, who was now happily engaged to Faramir. When they met, Faramir claimed he had something that belonged to Hermione. "Here," he said, handing her the book she had left at the Window on the West, "It was fascinating. I'm sorry I kept it from you for so long."

"That's all right," said Hermione, "It's not really mine anyway. I took it from the library in Rivendell, I thought it might be useful."

"You _stole _something from the _elves_?" gaped Ginny, "I never would've believed it of you Hermione Granger!"

Hermione blushed. "I _am _going to give it back…"

All that kept them from going home was Aragorn's coronation. Harry didn't mind, but he couldn't figure out what his friend was waiting for. He would soon find out.

"Oh Lady Hermione," called Ginny teasingly one fine summer morning.

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped.

"You have a visitor!"

"Who?" asked Hermione.

"You'll see!" said Ginny, "They want you to be involved in the coronation."

"Oh no, I couldn't!" said Hermione.

"I think you could if you knew what you were going to do!"

"What is it?" asked Hermione.

"Come on, and you'll find out!"

Late that morning, the whole of Minas Tirith turned out to see Gandalf crown Aragorn king. Harry and Ron were standing beside Eomer, now the King of Rohan, Fred, George, and Ginny. Gimli was standing next to Aragorn, and the hobbits were near the center by the White Tree, now in full bloom. "Where's Hermione?" muttered Ron. Harry couldn't help but notice the mysterious smile on Ginny's face.

Aragorn was walking down the aisle, with people bowing as he went past. He stopped when he reached Harry. "I need to speak with you later," he said quietly, "I know you don't like getting a lot of attention, so I thought I'd wait until afterwards."

"Ok," said Harry, nodding.

Aragorn smiled. "_Le hannon_," he said, and went on.

"What did he say?" hissed Ron.

"I dunno…Hermione's the one who knows elvish!" Harry hissed back.

Now they could see the elves approach Aragorn, Legolas prominent among them. He looked different without the armor and weapons, Harry noticed. He also saw Elrond and some of the elves from Rivendell. And then he was shocked to see Hermione walking with them, holding some sort of flag. Aragorn went over to her. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

Beaming, she drew it back. Arwen was standing behind it.

Aragorn froze. _I guess she wasn't dead after all_, thought Harry. He was interested, in spite of himself, to see what would happen next.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, then Aragorn drew her in and kissed her. Everyone started clapping and cheering, Harry, Ginny, and Hermione hardest of all. Ron just looked dumbfounded.

"How come that never happens to me?" he demanded.

"Because you're you Ron," replied Fred.

Aragorn and Arwen were married that very evening. Harry had never seen two people look as happy as they did. He decided to wait until the next morning before he talked with Aragorn.

For some reason, he felt a bit nervous. This was his friend, but he was a king too! What did he want? Harry hoped it wouldn't be anything too fancy.

The next morning he walked into the Hall, where Aragorn sat alone. "Where's Arwen?" he asked.

"She's out by the gardens," was the reply, "She and Legolas are already making plans on how to make this city more beautiful."

"That's nice," said Harry. After a few awkward seconds he said, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," said Aragorn. For some reason he looked very nervous as he got up and went over to Harry. "Harry, you have become one of my closest friends. I have been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I thought you sounded a bit reluctant to go back to Hogwarts."

"Yeah," said Harry fiercely, "I don't want to go to where people don't appreciate me, I don't want to face Umbridge again!" His hands curled into fists.

"Well," said Aragorn awkwardly, "I wasn't sure if you'd want to of course, but if you wanted to stay here, in Middle Earth…you could always stay here with me. I already talked with Arwen about it, and she likes the idea. I know you'd be loved and accepted here in Gondor."

Harry was stunned. He had been given an offer like this once before, by Sirius, and he had loved the idea, only to have it rudely taken away from him. This time was much different. He wanted to stay and live with Aragorn and Arwen very badly, he wanted to stay in a place where he was loved for who he was, not because of a scar on his forehead. In a way, it reminded him of Ron's home, the Burrow.

He almost said yes. But then Galadriel's voice rang through his head, back from a time long ago in Lothlorien: _It is absolutely necessary that you remain safe. The fate of your world depends on it_. Harry had no idea what she was talking about, but he felt he had to listen to her. Obviously he still had things to do at home, although what those things were he didn't know. "Aragorn," he said, very softly, "I really want to. But I can't. I have…stuff I need to do…back in my world," he choked out.

"I understand," said Aragorn, and he suddenly pulled Harry in a tight hug. Harry could not remember what being hugged by a parent felt like, but in that moment, he had a feeling he could take a guess.

The next day Elrond and Hermione announced that they were going to set up the portal to take them home in Rivendell. It was time to say good-bye.

"I'll miss you!" said Eowyn, hugging Ginny.

"Is it true you're going to be a healer now?" asked Ginny incredulously.

"Yes," said Eowyn, "Being with Faramir has changed me!"

"How could you?" cried Ginny to Faramir in a mock hurt voice, "You took away a kindred spirit!"

"I apologize," said Faramir with a wink, "Take care of yourself!"

"I will!" she said, and went away.

"Do _you_ think she will?" asked Faramir.

"Of course not!" said Eowyn, "I wouldn't if I were her!"

Hermione raced over to say good-bye to Arwen. "I'm so glad you stayed!" she exclaimed.

"Me too," said Arwen, "Thank you for everything!"

"Where's Aragorn?" asked Harry.

Arwen paused. "He has some foreign business to attend to. I'm sorry Harry, but he already left."

"Without saying good-bye?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Don't tell me Legolas and Gimli went with him!" groaned Ron.

"They did," said Arwen, "And so did Gandalf."

"Is he mad at me?" wondered Harry.

"No!" exclaimed Arwen, "Aragorn understands. I rather expected it anyway. I told him you might say no."

Harry was still upset. He wished Aragorn had at least stayed behind to say good-bye to him, after all they had been through together.

"Where are Merry and Pippin?" roared Fred and George, "We can't find them anywhere!"

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Frodo or Sam either," said Ginny.

"They left for the Shire," said Arwen, "Didn't you know?"

"No," said George, "Why'd they just leave like that?"

"I guess," said Hermione sadly, "They hated the thought of having to leave us, and they all decided it was much less painful to just go."

No one wanted to accept it, but it appeared to be true. The rest of the Fellowship was gone.

Ron quickly said good-bye to Eomer and Eowyn, and then they set off for Rivendell. It took a few eventless weeks to get there at last.

"Well," sighed Hermione, "This is it. Time to go."

"You may set the portal up in my library," said Elrond.

Hermione nodded, and turned the doorknob. She opened the door…

…and Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were waiting inside!

"What…what…what are you all doing here!" she demanded.

"Surprise!" said Merry, "We came to say goodbye before you went through the portal!"

"But…Arwen told me you were on some sort of foreign business!" cried Harry.

"I was," said Aragorn, hugging him, "Business that involved getting to Rivendell before you arrived!"

"Did you seriously think we'd leave without you?" cried Pippin.

"We didn't know what to think!" said Ron.

"Yeah, we thought you were giving us the silent treatment or something!" said Fred.

"No!" said Merry, "Why would we do that?"

"Well, I'm very happy to see you all," said Hermione, "But I need to set this up…"

"Right," said Gimli, "We'll leave you."

About a half hour later Hermione came out. "How long does it take to set that thing up?" asked Ron.

"It's desperately tricky," said Hermione, "And then I had to check and double check to see if it worked right!"

"Hang on," said Harry, "Are we just going to get dropped off in different parts of the world again?"

"No," said Hermione, "We'll be back in the Room of Requirement, and no time will have passed since we left. See, both portals will work as a sort of bridge, connecting the worlds in a way. That's why it didn't work last time, see? We just got dropped off in different places. We're lucky we landed in the same dimension!"

"So, are you going to come visit?" asked Frodo.

"Are _we_ going to come visit?" asked Pippin.

"Not yet," said Hermione, "Wait a bit. We'll call on you if we think the coast is clear, but for now, I think we should avoid it. Who knows if Umbridge would catch us or not?"

"That would be disastrous!" exclaimed Ron.

"Yeah, she'd try conquering you guys!" said Fred.

"I don't know about _that_," said Hermione.

"Don't put anything past her," said Ginny darkly.

"So we'll stay away?" asked Legolas.

"I'm sorry, but I think it would be best if you did," said Hermione.

"I agree," said Gandalf.

"That goes for _all four of you_!" said Hermione sternly to Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin, who muttering to each other in a rather suspicious manner.

"What?" they asked innocently.

Ginny went through first. She hugged the hobbits and Gandalf especially. "Thank you for healing me Aragorn!" she called, and was gone.

Ron went through next. "Don't forget, you owe me a Quidditch game!" he said.

"You owe me a trip through the forest!" replied Legolas.

"And one through the caves!" said Gimli.

Ron gave them the thumbs-up and left.

"Oh _honestly_," whispered Hermione as Fred, George, Merry, and Pippin pretended to cry and hug each other. They were really overdoing it in Harry's opinion, but he laughed all the same. Then the twins were gone.

Hermione hugged Frodo and Sam tightly, whispered her farewells, and left. Then Harry was alone.

"Aragorn," he started to say, "I'm really sorry…"

"Say no more Harry," he replied, and hugged him. He watched as Harry waved goodbye, and disappeared into the golden mist.

Harry stumbled straight into the Room of Requirement. Sure enough, everyone else was there.

"Well," said Ron, "That's that."

"Maybe we should hide the portal," said Ginny.

"You can't," said Hermione, "It doesn't matter anyway, no one knows about it, so no one could find it in here, as long as no one tells."

They all agreed, and left the room in silence, each one's heads filled with thoughts about their adventures in Middle Earth.

A/N: IT'S NOT OVER YET PEOPLE! Stay tuned for two more chapters! (BTW, "Le hannon" means "Thank you" for those who didn't know.)

Another thing, I realize this is a little late, but if you have any questions, you can e-mail me; I'll put it on my profile! PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT I GET SPAM MAIL ALL THE TIME, SO PUT WHO YOU ARE AND THE TITLE OF THE STORY IN QUESTION IN THE SUBJECT BOX!


	38. In the World of Wizards

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. Also, a certain part of this is pretty much directly out of the Order of the Phoenix. You'll know which part it is when you get to it, believe me! I certainly don't own those words either, and I'd never claim them. If Harry Potter were my story, the chances are high you wouldn't find them anywhere!

Chapter 38: In the World of Wizards

It was now June, and Harry and his friends found themselves in trouble once more. Harry had a dream when he fell asleep during his History of Magic O.W.L., that Sirius Black, his godfather, was being tortured by Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. Apparently Voldemort wanted Sirius to get the special weapon for him.

Harry immediately went to Ron and Hermione so that they could rescue Sirius. It had taken a lot of convincing, a disastrous trip to Umbridge's office to use Floo Powder to check and see if Sirius had really gone, getting caught by Umbridge herself and having to lose her in the Forbidden Forest, which was filled with murderous centaurs and Hagrid's half-brother Grawp, before they had finally found a group of thestrals and were on their way. Ginny and their friends Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood had come along too.

But Harry had made a terrible mistake. The dream hadn't been real at all, it was actually a trap to lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries so that he would be able to get the weapon, a prophecy of some sort. Now they were trapped in a room full of Death Eaters, trying to come up with a way to escape, especially Hermione.

_We need help_, she thought, _How can I call for help? _Then it hit her. _Of course, my elven brooch! It's a good thing I still have it with me! _She slowly reached into her robes, and her fingers brushed against it. Immediately she started thinking, _Someone help! We're all trapped in the Department of Mysteries by Death Eaters, and I'm afraid they're going to kill us if we don't give them this prophecy soon! _In her panic, that was the best message she could think of.

* * *

The rest of the Fellowship of the Ring was having a little reunion in Rivendell. Suddenly everyone sat up straight. "Did you here that?" asked Aragorn.

"It sounded like Hermione!" said Merry frowning, "She's not here is she?"

"She's using the brooch!" cried Sam, "I remember her using it before! But it's so faint…I don't know why!"

"Perhaps she's in her own world?" asked Legolas.

"Wherever she is, it sounds like she's in trouble," said Frodo, "We have to help her!"

"What are Death Eaters?" asked Pippin.

"Servants of the dark lord in their world," said Aragorn, "Harry told me about them." He suddenly grew pale. "Do you think they've done something to Harry?"

"Who cares?" said Gimli, "All I know is that our friends are in danger, and we're wasting time here! Let's go!"

"But Hermione said not to use the portal!" cried Sam.

"What do you think Gandalf?" asked Frodo, "You haven't said anything yet."

Gandalf was puffing his pipe. "I think we are in their debt, and it would be wrong to ignore a call for help," he said. Without further ado, he got up and reached for his staff.

"I'm in then," said Merry, getting up.

"Me too," said Pippin, getting out his dagger. The others agreed and followed suit.

They all dashed into the library, where Elrond was reading. "What is it?" he asked, looking up.

"Where is the portal?" gasped Aragorn.

Elrond looked at him in surprise. "Over there," he replied.

"Thank you, Lord Elrond," said Gandalf, nodding, "We won't be long."

"But where are you going?" asked Elrond, "Not Harry's world, surely?"

"They have called for help," explained Legolas, "We have no choice but to answer." Without another word they ran into the portal.

* * *

Thousands of miles away, in Diagon Alley, Fred and George were about to close up shop. Suddenly they both jumped and looked at each other. "Did you hear something?" asked Fred.

"Yeah," said George, "It almost sounded like Hermione, calling for help!"

They looked at each other.

"Well? Should we go?" asked Fred.

"I dunno," said George, frowning, "It sounded like Hermione, but it could be a trap…"

"If it's Umbridge, she'll be sorry she ever tried it," said Fred firmly.

"All right," said George, "Let's get the stuff ready. We're going back to Hogwarts to do a little investigating!"

* * *

"Where are we?" asked Pippin.

They were lying in a brightly lit room. It was empty except for the portal, and a table with eight robes on it. "What are those?" asked Frodo.

Gandalf tried on one of the long black ones. It fit him perfectly. "Put these on," he ordered, passing them around.

"Strange clothes these wizards wear," muttered Gimli.

They all stepped outside cautiously and looked around. The hallway was empty. They crept along, weapons hidden but ready.

As they walked along the corridors, they spotted children running around, talking excitedly about exams being finished, casting curious looks at the newcomers, but nobody asked questions, until they went down a flight of steps, searching for their magical friends everywhere. They were in the middle of a corridor when a man with greasy black hair, a long black cloak, and a self-satisfied smirk emerged from some steps that looked to lead to somewhere dark and gloomy, like a dungeon. He stopped and stared at the Fellowship.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"We are friends of Professor Dumbledore's," said Gandalf, coming up with a quick lie based on what Harry had told him in the past, "We've come to pay him a visit. Could you direct us to his office?"

Students everywhere were _really_ staring now. The man looked at them suspiciously. "Dumbledore is not here," he said slowly, "He has been replaced by Dolores Umbridge. But surely, being Dumbledore's friends, you already knew this?"

Alarmed, Gandalf said quickly, "Well, we did wonder why he stopped contacting us. After a few months, we grew worried that he might be in danger and decided to come here and find out."

"A most interesting story," the man sneered, "But you have failed to tell me exactly who you are and how you know Dumbledore…"

"You first," said Merry suddenly. In his growing impatience, the words had slipped out.

The man glared at him. "I am Professor Severus Snape," he said quietly, "Although I don't see why it's any of your business…"

"Where are Fred and George?" asked Pippin suddenly. He too was getting impatient.

"The Weasley twins?" asked Snape in surprise, "They're gone too. They left the school months ago."

"They did?" asked Pippin, now feeling awkward. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse.

"Well," said Gandalf, "I suppose we shall be going now!"

"I suppose you shall," said Snape.

"Wait!" Aragorn blurted out, "Do you know where we can find Harry Potter?"

"I have no idea where he is," said Snape calmly, "But I believe he and his friends are on some sort of wild-goose chase to London."

"What do you mean?" hissed Aragorn, "Where's that?"

"You don't know where London is?" asked Snape, now sounding amused, and intrigued, in a creepy sort of way. "Most interesting…however, Potter had a dream that his godfather was trapped in the Department of Mysteries by the Dark Lord. You do know who the Dark Lord is, don't you?"

"Yes I know that much!" snapped Aragorn, "Please, this is urgent! Get to the point!"

"So…" drawled Snape, "You were not here for Dumbledore, but for Potter. Doubtless you found asking for Dumbledore more impressive. But Potter is headed for a trap. He is going to the Department of Mysteries, where the Death Eaters will probably be waiting."

"But we must tell someone!" cried Aragorn.

"I am on my way to alert the Order," said Snape calmly, "Go, if you wish. But it's not necessary. They will put a stop to it, you mark my words. And then you may have your chat with Potter." With a swish of his cloak, he was gone. By now people were starting to steer clear of this corridor that was causing such an unusual scene. They didn't want anything to spoil their happiness now that exams were over and they could all focus on relaxing.

Aragorn felt sick. "What are we going to do?" he moaned.

Legolas was staring at the place where Snape had been standing moments before. "I don't trust him at all," he said firmly.

"He said he was going to get help," said Sam.

"I don't believe him," replied Legolas flatly, "I know what Harry told me about him, but if he's really on their side, he should be a bit more concerned about Harry's well-being, no matter how much they hate each other."

"But what can we do?" asked Gimli, "We don't know where this Department of Mysteries is!"

"That's another thing," said Frodo, "If that man can't be trusted, why did he tell us where to find Harry?"

"He never gave us instructions," argued Legolas, "He just told us where they were. I think he had some idea already that we would have no idea where to start looking."

"We're wasting time!" cried Merry, "We need to find someone who can show us where to go to save Harry!"

"But we don't have anyone here who can help us!" said Aragorn frantically.

"I can think of some people who can help us," said Pippin, who was staring out a nearby window, "They're coming up to the castle right now."

"Who Pippin?" asked Frodo in confusion.

Pippin turned to face the others, a wide, eager grin spreading over his face. "Fred and George."

* * *

Fred and George had Apparated to Hogsmeade and were now racing as fast as they could across the wide lawn to Hogwarts. By the time they had gotten into the Entrance Hall they were out of breath.

"Where…to?" panted Fred.

"No…idea…" gasped George.

There was a stunned silence, and then the Hall burst into cheers. Everyone there was welcoming the prankster heroes back!

Fred and George waved and then started up the marble steps. They had just gotten up to the first floor when they heard eager shouts coming from the corridor.

"FRED! GEORGE!"

"Blimey…" whispered Fred, "Is that…"

"I think we've been working too hard at the shop Fred," said George.

Merry and Pippin were racing happily towards the twins. The rest of the Fellowship was following, looking more relieved and grim than excited.

"How've you been?" asked Merry, "That Snape said you'd left!"

"We did," said Fred, "We'll tell you all about it, but right now we need to find Hermione because…is this real or am I dreaming?"

"You're not dreaming!" said Pippin gleefully, "We're really here; Hermione called us on her elven brooch!"

"So that's what we heard," said George.

"You heard it too?" asked Merry.

"Sure we did," said Fred, "Why did you think we were here?"

By now, the others had caught up. Aragorn wasted no time, but demanded, "Fred, George, do you know where the Department of Mysteries is?"

"Sure, it's in London, at the Ministry of Magic," said George, "So Hermione really is stuck?"

"Yes, we think she, Harry, Ron, and Ginny are in trouble, Snape told us Harry was being lured there by Death Eaters, or something like that," said Frodo.

"Wow," said Fred, "How'd that happen?"

"We don't know, something about a dream, Snape said he was going to tell the Order, what's that?" asked Sam.

"It's a group of wizards that fight Voldemort," hissed George, "But you can't talk so loud! Anybody can hear you!"

"Sorry," mumbled Sam.

"How can we get there?" asked Gandalf.

Fred groaned. "That's the tricky part," he said, "We can't set up a Portkey, or use Floo Powder without getting caught, and you lot can't Apparate, and it'd take too long with brooms, how'd _they _get themselves to the Department of Mysteries, that's what _I'd _like to know!"

They all thought for a moment. It was certainly a pressing problem.

"I suppose we could _try_ making a Portkey," said George, "We know how to do it, we've just never done it before, and I wouldn't want to mess up now, considering…"

"Come on, we've never given up with that sort of sorry excuse in mind, and we're not going to start now!" said Fred firmly, "One of you grab a random object and we'll be on our way."

"What's a Portkey?" asked Gimli.

"You'll see," said Fred.

They looked around, and then Sam wandered into an empty classroom, where he found an old book.

"That'll do," said George, "Right," he closed his eyes and seemed to be concentrating hard, "_Portus_!"

The book glowed blue, wobbled, and then lay still.

"I…I think we did it!" exclaimed George.

"Don't celebrate yet," said Aragorn, who was very tense.

"All right," said Fred, "Everyone put a hand on the book…"

Everyone crowded around it.

"Three, two, one…" Everyone was suddenly spinning around, banging into each other, until they landed in a dark, windowless hallway.

"Hey, it worked!" cried Fred.

"Where are we?" asked Legolas softly.

"I think we're just outside the Department of Mysteries," whispered George, "We've been to the Ministry of Magic loads of times with Dad, since he works here. But we've never actually been in here before!"

"Come on," said Aragorn, "We'd better try that door."

Suddenly they heard something that sounded like a small explosion, someone falling down stairs, and wicked laughter. "I'll go through first," said Gandalf, and he opened the door, staff at the ready.

They were in a circular room lit by blue candles and filled with doors. Black-robed, masked people were swarming through one of them. "Death Eaters," gasped Fred. They heard him and turned around. Immediately some of them started firing spells in the Fellowship's direction, only to have them blocked by a white light coming from Gandalf's staff.

There was silence, and then one of the Death Eaters, thinking he recognized Gandalf screamed, "DUMBLEDORE!" They all fled into the nearby room and slammed the door.

Instantly the room began spinning very fast. Some of the group cried out in shock and fright as the wall settled. They were lost.

"Wh-what happened?" asked Pippin.

"I'm not sure," said George, "Let's try one of these doors."

He walked over and opened one, and Neville Longbottom fell out. "Neville!" he gasped, "What are _you _doing here?"

"Is dat Fred, or George?" he asked, squinting in the dark light. Up close, George could see his nose was broken.

"We're both here," said Fred.

"Who are dey?" asked Neville.

"Long story," replied George, "Why are you here?"

"Dat one's even longer," replied Neville, "I need help. Harry just lured the Death Eaters away, Ginny and Luna are hurt, look."

"Ginny!" cried Pippin, rushing over to her.

"Pippin?" she gasped.

"What happened to you?" asked Aragorn.

"Oh, you know, getting into trouble as usual!"

"Faramir will not be disappointed," said Gandalf with a twinkle in his eye.

"Who's this?" called Legolas, leaning over the figure of an unconscious girl.

"That's Luna," said Ginny, "She got knocked out as you can see, but I think she'll be alright."

"We should get you both out of here," said Legolas, picking Luna up easily.

"What's wrong with Ron!" exclaimed Gimli. Ron was giggling and wrapped in the tentacles of what looked like a brain.

"He got addacked by a brain," said Neville.

"And Hermione!" cried Frodo.

"She got hit by a spell, I don't know what, but she's alive," said Neville.

"Let me see," said Gandalf. He made a slashing movement with his staff, and the brain's coils came loose.

"Hey," giggled Ron, "I'm free! Thanks a lot mister, or are you Gandalf? Or Dumbledore? You both look alike, ha ha ha…"

"He went funny," said Ginny, "I don't know what's wrong with him!"

"I can fix this," said Fred, "_Stupefy!_" Ron went limp. "That'll hold him till we can get him to Madam Pomfrey."

"_Fred_!" she groaned.

"Please," said Aragorn, "We have to go save Harry! Which way do we go to find him?"

At that moment, one of the doors swung open. "That was efficient," said George. Then they all charged through.

Harry was trapped on a stone dais, his back facing an old stone archway with a veil hanging from it. A small glass ball, the prophecy, was clutched in his hand. The Death Eaters were laughing. "Just give it to us," Lucius Malfoy was saying, "Just hand it over now…" Suddenly he screamed in pain. An arrow was sticking out of his shoulder.

Everyone whirled around. Harry decided he must be hallucinating; there was no way this was happening.

The arrow had come from Legolas, who had his bow still raised. Fred and George were jumping down the stairs, firing spells, Merry and Pippin at their heels. Gandalf too, was wielding his staff. Flashes of white light were hitting some of the unsuspecting Death Eaters.

Fred and George immediately began dueling as many Death Eaters as possible. It was like trying to catch a wave, one minute they were there, the next they had Disapparated to another part of the room. Gimli was trying to deflect spells with his strong axe. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin were dodging the spells and trying to stab at the Death Eaters with their daggers. Legolas continued firing his bow from a safe distance.

Meanwhile, Aragorn had made his way through the brawl to Harry. "Are you alright?" he demanded.

"Yeah," gasped Harry, "What are you doing here!"

"We came to help you," replied Aragorn, "Hermione summoned us with her brooch."

"Good old Hermione," said Harry, "I never would've thought of that!"

"Let's get you all back to your school," said Aragorn, but at that moment there was a commotion as Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the room and started dueling.

"Who are they?" asked Aragorn.

"Members of the Order of the Phoenix," said Harry, "That one there, he's my godfather, Sirius Black."

Aragorn glanced at him, nodded approvingly, and then started sheltering Harry through the battle that was taking place. On the way they were first met by Legolas, who said that he, Fred, and George were going to get the others to Hogwarts as quickly as possible, then by Lupin.

"Who are these people Harry?" he asked, thoroughly bewildered, "I thought they might be enemies, until that little man over there with the axe saved my life by cutting down that one man, that Mulciber, before he hit me with what was probably going to be an Unforgivable!"

"That would be Gimli," said Harry, "He's a dwarf. They're all friends, trust me. I'll explain later."

"A _dwarf_?" Harry heard Lupin mutter, but he didn't ask for further details, and instead went right back into the battle.

They didn't have too much trouble after that, until they got to the middle of the steps. A particularly large Death Eater suddenly lunged at the two friends, knocking them to the ground, and the prophecy went flying out of Harry's hand. "Aragorn!" he yelled, "Catch it!"

It was wildly out of reach, and Aragorn missed. The prophecy smashed on the steps, a pearly-white figure revolved in the pieces, saying something that no one could hear over the din.

The Death Eater let out an agonized roar and tried to get close enough to here it, but Harry grabbed a hold of his legs and brought him crashing down. Now angry, the Death Eater whipped around and pinned Harry to the ground, trying to squeeze him to death.

Aragorn came running up from behind, and with surprising strength, grabbed the man by the neck and slammed him against the nearby wall, keeping his sword ready. "Tell the rest of your friends," he hissed, "One more wrong move towards him in front of me, and I will personally see to it that you are done in!" The Death Eater gasped and nodded. Aragorn let go, and the man fell to the floor, unconscious. His mask slipped off. It was Macnair.

"How'd you do that?" gasped Harry.

"I learned a few tricks from the rangers and the elves," he replied, "Now hurry! We're wasting too much time."

Harry looked up and gasped. "_Dumbledore_!"

"Dumbledore?" asked Aragorn, bewildered. Sure enough, the headmaster of Hogwarts and the greatest wizard in the world was standing in the doorway, looking furious.

"It's Dumbledore," said Harry, weak with relief, "We're saved!"

Mostly everyone else had seen him too. The Death Eaters were scrambling around trying to escape, shouting in confusion. They had been pretty certain that Gandalf was Dumbledore, since he was an old powerful wizard. Now there were _two _of them? It made no sense!

Only Sirius and his cousin, the infamous escaped convict, Bellatrix Lestrange, were still fighting by the archway. Bellatrix had just fired a Stunning spell but missed, and Sirius was laughing, "Come on, you can do better than that!"

The next jet of light hit him squarely in the chest.

Aragorn watched, uncomprehendingly, as Harry started to jump down the steps toward his godfather.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch…

Aragorn blinked. Sirius was gone. What had happened? He turned to Harry, hoping for an explanation, but Harry was gone too. He had run down the last set of steps yelling, "SIRIUS! SIRIUS!"

"Harry?" he called, completely confused. He watched as Lupin grabbed him before he could run in, as Harry suddenly began to struggle wildly screaming, "HE IS NOT DEAD!"

_No_, thought Aragorn, _That's impossible; how could he have died? He just went through that arch, what happened?_

He ran up to Lupin, who was still trying to restrain Harry. "What happened?" he asked.

"He just went through!" gasped Harry, "We can still save him, because he's not dead…"

Lupin had a pained expression on his face. "He is dead," he said softly.

"No…he's…not!" roared Harry.

"How could he have died?" asked Aragorn.

"That archway," said Lupin, "I don't really understand it; I suppose nobody really does, but I guess in the best sense it's like a portal, a portal that leads to death! The people who work in the Department of Mysteries study it all the time I believe."

Harry had stopped struggling. Aragorn tried to lay a comforting arm on his shoulder, but Harry shook it away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Aragorn looked stunned and hurt, and mumbled an apology.

"It's all right," replied Aragorn, "I understand."

_No you don't_! thought Harry, but he said nothing. Suddenly he heard a roar of pain, Kingsley had fallen, and Bellatrix was escaping. Without thinking clearly, he raced after her.

"Harry! NO!" yelled Aragorn.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" he heard Harry screaming, "SHE KILLED HIM! I'LL KILL HER!"

"No!" Aragorn repeated, and ran after him. He was stopped by Gandalf.

"Don't follow!" he said.

"She'll kill him!" cried Aragorn.

"She won't," said Gandalf, slackening his grip, "Dumbledore will follow them."

"I'm not about to take that chance," replied Aragorn, and in a sudden movement he had jerked free and was running into the circular room. He heard a strange clattering noise, and followed the sound into an open door to his left. He saw an empty space in the wall at the end and went toward it. He stared for a few minutes, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't jump down, of this he was certain. He looked up and could see nothing but darkness. Where had the noise come from?

Finally he saw a small button on the wall. Thinking it over, he decided to push it. As soon as he did, the clattering noise started up, and a golden platform came down. Aragorn stared at it, then got in. It immediately headed upwards. "The Atrium," a cool female voice suddenly rang out, and Aragorn gasped. It led him up to a hallway with a beautiful fountain in the center. He saw, to his horror, that Harry was trapped against a wall by a towering figure. He had no idea who it was, but he knew it was not Bellatrix, because _she _was lying a few feet away, shaking and sobbing. She looked up and saw him approaching the figure, sword raised.

The figure had raised his wand and pointed it at Harry's heart. He was speaking to him in an icy cold voice, but that meant nothing to Aragorn. All he knew was that his friend was in danger.

"AVADA KE…"

"MASTER, BEHIND YOU!" shrieked Bellatrix.

The man whipped around and shot a jet of red light towards Aragorn, who parried it with his sword. A deep, ringing noise issued when the spell hit it. They stared at each other.

Aragorn was panicking inside. The man before him was as pale as death, with red, snake-like eyes. He had heard so much about him from Harry to know right away it was Voldemort.

"That is a powerful, magic sword," whispered Voldemort, "I wonder…where did you get it? You are no wizard, or you would have attacked me with a wand…"

"Aragorn," gasped Harry, "Get away…it's Voldemort…you can't fight him…"

Voldemort laughed. "Smart advice Potter," he sneered, "You would do well to obey him Muggle, your sword will not to much against me…"

Aragorn lunged at him, intending to drive Anduril through his heart, but Voldemort stepped aside smoothly and attacked him with a slashing purple light. Once again the sword defended him, but it shook in Aragorn's hands, and he knew it was getting weaker. Instead he tried a different tactic, dodging the spells while slowly trying to lead Voldemort away from Harry. But it was no good. Voldemort was a Leglimens, he saw what Aragorn was doing, and sent a Killing Curse his way. Aragorn made to deflect it with Anduril, and…

The beautiful sword smashed into many pieces. It had taken the worst of the spell, leaving Aragorn dazed against the fountain.

Voldemort laughed and walked towards him slowly. "You lasted longer than I expected," he hissed, "Most impressive…it makes me wonder of your background…but no matter…Lord Voldemort got you in the end…"

"NO!" screamed Harry, and he got up and ran towards his friend, but Voldemort merely snapped his fingers and Bellatrix had leapt on top of him, pinning him to the ground and shrieking with maniacal laughter. "GET OFF!" he screamed, "NO! GET OFF! ARAGORN!"

Voldemort turned to him with a small smile. "You have only yourself to blame Potter," he said softly, "Associating with Muggles the way you do…"

Harry roared in fury and struggled wildly, but suddenly a blinding flash of white light came and threw Voldemort off his feet. "What the…" he gasped, "_Dumbledore! _And, _another one_?"

"No Tom," said Dumbledore, "Though you needn't feel bad, your Death Eaters made the same mistake. Gandalf and I aren't even related, although he appears to be an excellent wizard by all accounts."

"You shouldn't have come here," whispered Voldemort, "You continue to meddle in things that are not your concern…"

"On the contrary Tom, the endangerment of my students is very much my concern," said Dumbledore calmly, "And as Harry is a good friend of Gandalf's, it is not hard to see why he would be concerned…"

"Fools!" spat Voldemort, "Enlisting Muggles to help you in your cause! They are nothing against my Death Eaters!"

"Actually, I thought they did very well against your Death Eaters," said Gandalf, "One of them is seriously injured, but I imagine he will make a full recovery."

"Who got hurt?" asked Harry anxiously.

"Merry," said Gandalf, "But he'll be alright. Don't worry, Pippin is tending to him."

"I'm worried," said Harry.

"And now Bellatrix, I would ask you to stop crushing my student, or we shall have to hurt you," said Dumbledore.

"Hurt me?" asked Bellatrix scornfully, "Hurt _me_? You wouldn't dare!"

"I'm afraid we would," said Dumbledore gravely. Gandalf pointed his staff at her, she shrieked as though she had been burned, and Harry crawled over to Aragorn.

"Aragorn," he muttered desperately, "Wake up! Don't be dead too!"

Aragorn groaned and opened his eyes. "The statues are moving!" he cried with wide eyes.

Harry looked up. Sure enough, the statues on the Fountain of Magical Brethren were getting up and moving around. The wizard statue threw itself at Harry and Aragorn to protect them, the witch landed on Bellatrix, the house-elf and goblin stood off to the sides, and the centaur was galloping around the area.

Harry and Aragorn watched, wide-eyed, as Dumbledore and Gandalf battled Voldemort together. It seemed that as a team they could do no wrong, and Voldemort was slowly weakening. Suddenly he just Disapparated. Harry and Aragorn looked wildly around, Bellatrix screamed, and Dumbledore looked thoroughly alarmed.

"Where did he go?" asked Aragorn, "Harry? _Harry!_"

Harry had suddenly gone rigid, his eyes were as red as Voldemort, and he was saying in an icy cold voice, "_Kill me now Dumbledore_."

"HARRY? HARRY? GANDALF, DUMBLEDORE, COME QUICK! THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH HARRY!"

Both rushed over. "It is as I feared," whispered Dumbledore, "Voldemort is possessing him."

"No!" groaned Aragorn, "Harry, come back, please!" He looked almost feverish; he had never truly experienced something like this before, except with King Théoden. "_Tolo dan!_"

Gandalf reached down, put his hand on Harry's forehead, and began muttering under his breath. Slowly, Harry's breathing relaxed and his eyes turned green.

"Thank you," said Dumbledore, "Although I think Harry unconsciously helped to free himself."

"Of course he did," said Gandalf, "That is what made it easy."

"You must leave now," said Dumbledore, "Aurors will be here soon, and I don't want them to see you. Take this back," he waved his wand over a piece of one of the statues, and it glowed bright blue. "Hurry! The others have already gone to Hogwarts; I left instructions with Fred and George, who seemed to understand the situation best."

"Thank you," said Gandalf, "Come Aragorn." He grabbed the pieces of Anduril, muttered, "Lord Elrond will _not _want to hear about this!" and had to drag Aragorn away from Harry. A single touch of the Portkey, and they were gone.

A small pop came. Voldemort was back. He grabbed Bellatrix. "This isn't the end Dumbledore," he hissed furiously.

"I dare say it isn't Tom," said Dumbledore mournfully, "But I look forward to the day when it is."

Voldemort snarled at him and Disapparated. From the far end of the room, Aurors had begun to appear, and they all pointed at Voldemort and babbled in shock and horror.

Dumbledore turned back to Harry, who was just waking up. He would send the boy back to his office, and then, he had some explaining to do…

A/N: "Tolo dan" means "come back".


	39. Epilogue: Moving On

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Lord of the Rings. Also, the beginning of this sequence is taken, for the most part, directly out of the Order of the Phoenix, a bit of pain, I know, but to get the full effect here…

A/N: THE LAST CHAPTER! OMG!

Epilogue: Moving On

"_THE ONE WHO HAS THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES…BORN TO THOSE WHO THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT… AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR THE NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES…THE ONE WHO HAS THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…_"

Harry sat frozen in Dumbledore's office, having been transported there by Portkey and where he was told that the Fellowship had left for home, in order to avoid the Ministry and to get Merry to a healer, probably Elrond. He had lost his temper with Dumbledore; starting to blame _him _for Sirius's death, and now Dumbledore had taken out the Pensieve to show him a very important memory about Harry's very shadowy past.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said very quietly, "It…did that mean…What did that mean?"

"It meant," said Dumbledore, "that the person who has the only chance of conquering Lord Voldemort for good was born at the end of July, nearly sixteen years ago. This boy would be born to parents who had already defied Voldemort three times."

Something stirred in Harry's memory. A voice spoke in his head, a warm, sad, familiar voice: _My heart longs to tell you. It is a secret that had wrongly been denied to you…_ "She knew," he whispered.

"I beg your pardon Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

"A friend of mine…she knew about the prophecy…but she wouldn't tell me…"

Dumbledore leaned in closer. "I think it is time for you to tell _me_ something you should have told me a long time ago."

Harry felt slightly annoyed. So _he _shouldn't have kept things from Dumbledore? All the same, he drew a deep breath, and told Dumbledore the whole story about Hermione's invention, and how they had traveled to Middle Earth, and about all their adventures there. He told him about Galadriel and her knowledge of the prophecy, his relationship with Aragorn, how he had almost stayed, but then decided he needed to come back. He explained how, on returning, they had made sure that the portal stayed hidden, so Umbridge wouldn't find it, and how they never breathed a word of it again. Then he leaned back wearily and waited for what Dumbledore would say.

"That is an amazing story Harry," he said finally.

"It's the truth sir."

"I never questioned your honesty. I would not have anyway, but had I not seen what I saw tonight…you have made some very strong friends Harry, and I hope you will not forget them."

"Of course I won't!" cried Harry furiously.

"All the same, Miss Granger was very wise to suggest you keep this secret. Tell no one else about it. The consequences could be quite great. And now, to return to the prophecy…"

All in all, thought Harry as he walked through the grounds on Sunday morning, his talk with Dumbledore and the events at the Department of Mysteries and Middle Earth had changed his view of the world rather drastically. He now knew who he was, in a way. According to the prophecy, he was the only person with a true chance of defeating Voldemort. And he wasn't sure he was up for the job.

The death of Sirius, who had been like a father/brother to him, might have been less painful in the wake of what had happened afterwards, but the memory of Aragorn fighting desperately at Voldemort's powerful magic and being almost killed haunted him almost equally to the memory of his mother's death that dementors forced him to hear. He had never truly cared about an adult like that before, nor did he really feel that any adult (apart from his parents) had ever really felt the same way too.

Harry found a place hidden by bushes by the lake and sat down in it where he wouldn't be seen. He gazed out at the beautiful scenery: the lake, the mountains, the forest…Legolas, who had always had an appreciation for nature, would've loved this place, he realized with a jolt. So would Sam. He would've liked to have explored the greenhouses. And Merry and Pippin, it was too bad they hadn't been there when Fred and George made their great escape from Hogwarts…

As the tears began to form in his eyes when he pictured all this, another thought suddenly entered his head. If Merry and Pippin had seen him like this, they would've shaken him and yelled, "_Get a grip!_" Boromir had once advised Frodo not to carry the weight of the dead, along with everything else on his mind. Aragorn had promised to be there for him if he needed him. Legolas had once advised him about moving on in death, because they could not stop to mourn, really, with the fate of the world at stake. It was a bittersweet moment. Harry was afraid to move on, afraid that, in a way, he was losing Sirius all over again, but he knew it was necessary. And he began to see that no matter what happened, he would always have one of his friends by his side. It made him feel stronger, more up to the challenge of defeating Voldemort. He clenched his wand and looked back at Hogwarts, where Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were.

_I'm ready_, he thought.

THE END!

A/N: What did you think? Hope this wasn't too sappy. I struggle with sappy moments. Coming up next: sequel!

I'd like to take a moment now to personally thank all of you. All of you silent readers, and all my reviewers! I'd like to congratulate Raggedygal and Lauren546 for giving me the idea for the winning song in Chapter 30, the Barney song! And also a congratulations goes out to Jousting Elf with A Saber for finding the line from _National Treasure _in Chapter 31!

Also thanks go out to…

Genvessel for being my first and continuous reviewer throughout the story, Kaladelia Undomiel and Eclipse for helping me improve my writing from the start (there would've been A LOT more movie lines in here if it hadn't been for them), them and Brandy Lebeau and Lisa Riddle who were particularly critical reviewers and ready to point out where I went wrong. LilyFan78 and Brownie/Melody for being quite supportive for my sappy moments! Angeles for your weird and wacky reviews that made me laugh and feel loved at the same time, Tom Riddle Charlie, Mischievous Puck, and Catwraith for constantly reviewing, Infallallthingsaremadesplendid, LillyandJamesforever, Goddess Bless, Harrypfan001 TEACHER LADY, prongs-gurl202113, Jeniva, tubbles14, ALL OF YOU! Until next time…

Stay tuned for the next story! It takes place in Book 7, so you should have Book 6 finished in order to avoid confusion and spoilers!


End file.
